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A  Case  of  Partial  Dematerialization 


A  CASE  OF 

Partial  Dematerialization 

OF  THE 

BODY  OF  A  MEDIUM 


INVESTIGATION   AND  DISCUSSION 

BY 

MONS.  A.  AKSAKOF 

Scientist,  Philosopher,  and  Literateur, 
Ex-Prime  Minister  of  Russia. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH 

BY 

TRACY  GOULD.  LL.B. 

Counsellor  at  Law,  Member  of  the  New  York  Bar 


BOSTON 

BANNER  OF   LIGHT   PUBLISHING  CO. 
9  BoswoRTH  Street 
1898 


Copyright,  1897 
By  Tracy  Gould 


S.  J.  PARKHILL  4.  CO.,    BOSTON,  U.S.A. 
PRINTERS 


,^3/5 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

Chapter  I.  Theoretical  Speculations  —  Material- 
ization and  Dematerialization  ....  7 

Chapter  II.  Account  of  a  Seance  given  by  Madam 
d'Esperance  at  Helsingfors,  Finland,  Dec.  iith, 
1893,  at  which  the  phenomenon  of  the  Partial 
Dematerialization  of  the  body  of  the  iMedium 


was  demonstrated  to  Sight  and  Touch      .        .  33 

I.  Testimony  of  Mile.  Hjelt   35 

A.  Letter  from  Mile.  Hjelt  to  ]SIons.  Aksakof   .       .  35 

B.  Letter  from  ^Vlons.  Aksakof  to  Mile.  Hjelt    .        .  46 

C.  Reply  of  Mile.  Hjelt  to  Mons.  Aksakof        .       .  48 

D.  Supplementary  Letter  from  ^Nllle.  Hjelt       .    '  .  52 

II.  Testimony  of  Staff-Officer,  Capt.  Toppelius       .        .  55 

III.  Testimony  of  Prof.  Selling        .....  56 

A.  Letter  from  Prof.  Selling  to  Mons.  Aksakof        .  56 

B.  Letter  from  Mons.  Aksakof  to  Prof.  Selling        .  58 

C.  Reply  of  Prof.  Selling  to  Mons.  Aksakof     .        .  60 

D.  Supplementary  Report  of  Prof.  Selling,  (illus- 
trated,)    .........  63 

E.  Letter  from  Mons.  Aksakof  to  Prof.  Selling        .  69 

F.  Reply  of  Prof.  Selling  .....  70 

IV.  Testimony  of  Madam  Helene  Selling        ...  72 

A.  Note  from  Mme.  Selling   72 

B.  Remarks  on  the  same,  by  ^lons.  Aksakof     .        .  73 

V.  Testimony  of  ^Ille.  Fanny  Tavaststjerna    •        •        •  73 

A.  Letter  from  Mile.  Tavaststjerna  to  ]Mons.  Aksakof  73 

B.  Supplement  to  the  foregoing  letter       ...  77 

VI.  Testimony  of  General  Toppelius       ....  78 

VII.  Testimony  of  Dr.  Hertzberg     .       .       .       .       .  79 


ii 


CONTENTS, 


VIII.  Testimony  of  Mr.  Schoult2,  C.E   82 

A.  Letter  from  Mr.  Schoultz  to  Mons.  Aksakof        .  82 

B.  Counter-Testimonj  of  Prof.  Seiling     ...  85 

C.  Counter-Testimony  of  Dr.  Hertzberg  .        .  86 

D.  Counter-Testimony  of  Miles.  Hjelt  and  Tavast- 
stjerna   87 

IX.  Testimony  of  General  Sederholm       ....  89 

X.  Testimony  of  Mr.  J.  Boldt  .....  91 

XI.  Testimony  of  General  Galindo  and  Mr.  Lonnbom    .  91 

XII.  Personal  Testimony  of  Madam  d'Esperance,  the 
Medium   ..........  93 

A.  Account  of  the  seance  held  at  Prof.  Selling's  resi- 
dence at  Helsingfors,  by  Madam  d'Esperance         .  93 

B.  Questions  addressed  to  Madam  d'Esperance  by 
Mons.  Aksakof         .......  loi 

C.  Supplementary  Explanations,  by  Mme.  d'Esper- 
ance   102 

Chapter  III.  Personal  Investigation  by  Mons.  Ak- 
sakof    ........  107 

Chapter  IV.   Letters  from  the  Medium,  concerning 

her  condition  after  the  seance  at  Helsingfors  144 

Chapter  V.  Personal  Statement  of  the  Medium  as 
to  her  condition  during  the  Dematerializing  Se- 


ance       .        .        .        .        .        .        .  .151 

I.  Qviestions   by  Mons.  Aksakof  and   Replies   of  the 
Medium   154 

II.  Supplementary  Remarks,  by  Mons.  Aksakof      .        .  176 

Chapter  VI.   Conclusions     .        o        ,        «        o  180 


CHAPTER  I. 


THEORETICAL     SPECULATIONS   MATERIALIZA- 
TION AND  DEMATERIALIZATION. 

An  extraordinary  manifestation  occurred  at  a 
seance  given  by  Madam  d'Esperance  at  Hel- 
singfors,  Finland,  in  December,  1893  —  a  mani- 
festation which  casts  a  bright  light  upon  the 
mysterious  phenomena  of  materialization,  and 
confirms  by  the  evidence  of  both  sight  and  touch 
what  had  hitherto  been  but  a  theoretical  postu- 
late, though  a  logically  necessary  one. 

Before  entering  on  the  discussion  of  the  case 
it  is  best  for  me  to  give  briefly  an  idea  of  the 
theory  to  which  I  refer,  which  applies  to  all 
cases  of  materialization  and  gives  shape  and  fin- 
ish to  those  of  which  I  am  about  to  treat. 

Spiritualism  has  always  recognized  the  fact 
that  the  phenomena  of  materialization  are  pro- 
duced at  the  expense  of  the  medium's  body,  from 
which  the  required  materials  are  taken;  that  is 
to  sa}^  a  certain  degree  of  dematerialization  of 
the  body  of  the  medium  inevitably  attends  this 
phenomenon.    But  this  hypothesis  had  never 


8  A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


been  followed  to  its  farthest  limit;  the  final  con- 
clusion which  would  absolutely  and  logically 
result  from  it,  if  true,  had  never  yet  been  drawn. 
On  the  one  hand,  the  rarity  of  materializations 
and  the  lack  of  direct  observation  sufficient  to 
support  the  conclusion;  on  the  other  hand,  the 
extraordinary  admission  of  fact  which  it  com- 
pelled (though  that  fact  itself  is  no  more  won- 
derful than  materialization,  which  is  now  becom- 
ing so  familiar)  explains  why  it  has  not  yet  been 
generally  and  expressly  admitted.  But  now  we 
have  one  case  '  which  gives  us  a  right  to  speak 
out  boldly  and  positively.  It  is  this  case  of 
which  I  am  about  to  treat. 

Analysis  of  mediumistic  phenomena  enables 
^  us  to  distinguish  three  stages  of  materialization: 
I.  The  first  stage  is  invisible  materializa- 
tion. We  must,  a  p7^iori,  admit  that  there  is 
such  a  thing,  because  we  know  of  the  move- 
ment of  substantial  articles,  which  can  only  be 
caused  by  some  invisible  human  agency,  as  I  have 
shown  in  a  former  work,  entitled  "  Animisme  et 
Spiritisme."  We  must  admit  it  also  because  we 
have  so  often  felt,  as  it  were,  touches  in  half- 
light  seances,  and  have  felt  sure  that  they  were 
those  of  hands,  although  the  hands  were  invisible 

'  Italics  are  always  those  of  the  author  unless  otherwise  noted. 
—  Translator. 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  9 


ones.  We  are  further  assured  in  this  belief  by 
the  evidence  of  spirit-photography  in  general/ 
and  especially  when  the  senses  themselves  lend 
their  aid,  and  the  sight  and  touch  of  spirit-forms 
is  confirmed  by  the  camera.  Such,  for  example, 
are  the  photographs  of  Beattie;  and  also  those 
of  Mumier,  the  latter  taken  when  Mrs.  Conant, 
the  famous  American  medium,  saw  an  appari- 
tion touch  her  hand,  and  the  photograph  proved 
that  it  was  really  the  hand  of  a  figure  invisible 
to  the  ordinary  human  eye ;  or  even  that  of  Mr. 
Tinkham,  on  which  appeared  the  hem  of  a  gar- 
ment, held  up  by  a  hand  which  was  invisible  to 
the  unaided  eye. 

Spirit  photography  furnishes  us  with  abundant  ■ 
evidence  of  the  ephemeral  existence  of  real,  ob-  -Ua/ 
jective  figures,  which  we  can  explain  upon  no    I  ^ 
other  hypothesis  than  that  of  a  materialization 
begun,  but  not  perceptible  to  our   eyes.    The  ■ 
necessary  material  is  certainly  taken  from  the 
medium,  but  its  quantity  is  so   inconsiderable  J^^^^ 
that  the  partial  dematerialization  of  the  medium 
is  not  perceptible  to  our  senses.  '  i 

2.    In  the  second  stage,  we  have  the  well-  ^ 
known  phenomenon  of  visible  and  taiigible  ma- 

'  Mons.  Aksakof  has  coined,  and  uses,  the  term  transcendental  ' 
photography ;  but  I  have  thought  best  to  restore  the  familiar  ex- 
pression in  the  text.  —  Translator. 


10       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


terialization^  though  partial  and  incomplete. 
Thus,  the  appearance  of  hands  has  been  familiar 
at  seances  ever  since  the  beginning  of  the  spirit- 
ualistic movement.  It  occurs  in  full  light,  when 
the  medium  is  surrounded  by  the  witnesses. 
Then,  later,  came  dark  seances,  at  which  hands 
were  felt,  though  the  medium's  hands  were  held 
by  the  witnesses,  at  the  time.  Partial  material- 
izations also  took  place  at  these  seances;  heads, 
busts,  and  figures,  more  or  less  vapory,  were  seen 
in  semi-obscurity.  AVhen,  at  length,  the  medium 
was  isolated  behind  a  curtain  or  in  a  dark  cabi- 
net, apparitions  of  heads,  busts,  and  hands  were 
obtained  that  were  much  more  substantial  and 
which  shone  with  a  faint  light.  To  conform  to 
the  theoretical  principle,  this  phenomenon  of 
partial  materialization  ought  to  be  accompanied 
by  -partial  dematerializatio7i  of  the  medium. 
That  is  to  say,  that,  in  order  to  furnish  the  ma- 
terial for  materializations,  there  should  be  com- 
plete local  dematerialization  of  the  medium,  or 
there  should  be  a  general  dematerialization,  more 
or  less  inappreciable  to  our  senses. 

In  those  cases,  no  direct  observation  of  physi- 
cal changes,  accompanying  the  production  of  the 
phenomena,  could  be  made  upon  the  medium, 
who  was  always  alone  inside  the  cabinet.  But 
in  this  last  instance,  in  the  seance  with  Madam 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION .  11 


d'Esperance  which  we  are  now  to  treat  in  detail, 
full  confirmation  of  our  loc^ical  conclusion  was 
obtained;  for  while  Madam  d'Esperance  sat  in 
front  of  the  curtain,  by  dim  light,  and  while  par- 
tial materializations  (as,  for  instance,  apparitions 
of  heads  and  busts)  were  taking  place  behind  the 
curtain,  several  persons  proved,  at  least  by  sight 
and  touch,  the  demi-dematerialization  of  her  body 
—  to  wit,  of  her  feet  and  lower  limbs. 

3.  In  the  third  stage  we  have  full  material' 
izatioii  /  that  is,  a  complete  human  form,  visible 
and  tangible,  which  to  the  eye,  in  no  way  differs 
from  a  livins^  human  beino^.  This  manifestation 
is  the  very  highest  development,  the  uon  plus 
idtra^  of  materialization,  during  which  the  me- 
dium is  alone,  in  darkness,  and  orenerallv  en- 
tranced.  A  long  study  of  these  phenomena 
compels  the  admission  that  when  the  complete 
materialization  of  a  human  form  is  obtained,  that 
form  indubitably  resembles  the  medium  in  feat- 
ure. This  fact  has  been  the  cause  of  much  sus- 
picion and  of  many  pretended  exposures,  etc. 
All  attempts  to  see  the  medium  and  the  fully 
materialized  form  at  the  same  time  (which  at- 
tempts have  unfortunately  been  made  without 
any  examination  into  the  real  condition  of  the 
two  bodies  —  that  of  the  medium  and  that  of  the 
apparition)  have  failed,  with  the  rarest  excep- 


12       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


tions.  When,  by  means  of  exceptional  precau- 
tions —  such  as  holding  the  medium's  hair  out- 
side the  cabinet,  or  passing  a  galvanic  current 
through  the  medium's  very  body  —  it  was  finally 
made  sure  that  the  medium  could  neither  con- 
sciously nor  unconsciously  play  the  part  of  the 
spirit  and  yet  the  resemblance  between  form  and 
medium  was  found  to  be  perfect  or  almost  per- 
fect, (as  in  the  case  of  John  King's  resemblance 
to  his  medium,  Williams,  or  of  Katie  King's 
resemblance  to  her  medium.  Miss  Cook,)  they 
were  forced  to  recognize  the  fact  that  tlie  double^ 
or  duplication^  of  the  medium  was  the  starting- 
point  of  all  materialization.  But  this  expression 
might  lead  to  false  conclusions,  if  we  did  not 
understand  and  realize  that  this  double  is  but  a 
part,  or  siniulacrej  of  the  medium's  real  body, 
which  still  remains  behind  the  curtain. 

In  reality,  however,  it  is  neither  a  moiety  nor 
a  phantom  of  a  body,  but  a  veritable  and  com- 
plete body  of  flesh  and  bone,  like  unto  that  of 
the  medium  in  ever}'  way;  in  short,  it  is  like 
enough  to  the  body  of  the  medium  to  deceive 
the  medium  himself.  What,  then,  has  become 
of  the  real  body,  for  the  time?  One  cannot,  in 
reason,  admit  that  the  medium  has,  at  one  time, 
two  complete  bodies^  absolutely  alike.  We  have 
already  stated,  in  substance,  that  it  is  perfectly 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  13 


logical  to  argue  that  the  degree  of  materializa- 
tion of  an  apparition  corresponds  to  the  de- 
materialization  of  the  medium;  consequently,  if 
the  materialization  of  the  apparitional  human 
form  is  complete,  the  dematerialization  of  the 
medium's  form  should  also  be  complete,  or  at 
least  would  be  carried  so  far  that  the  medium 
would  be  invisible  to  our  eyes,  if  we  should  look 
for  her  during  such  manifestation. 

To  sum  up,  bearing  in  mind  the  proposition 
that  ever}^  materialization  necessitates  a  corre- 
sponding dematerialization,  the  entire  scale  of 
materialization  may  be  formulated  as  follows: 

1.  Primitive,  invisible  materialization  corre- 
sponds to  the  least  imperceptible  dematerializa- 
tion of  the  medium,  the  latter  remaining  visible 
during  the  phenomenon. 

2.  Visible  but  partial  materialization,  incom- 
plete either  as  to  form  or  necessary  matter,  cor- 
responds to  an  equally  partial  or  incomplete 
dematerialization  of  the  medium,  who  remains 
wholly  or  partly  visible. 

3.  The  visible  and  complete  materialization 
of  an  entire  human  form  corresponds  to  maxi- 
mum or  complete  dematerialization  of  the  me- 
dium, and  may  be  carried  to  such  an  extent  that 
the  medium,  in  turn,  becomes  invisible. 

If  this  be  admitted  as  a  g^eneral  and  losfical 


14       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


theory  and  proposition,  it,  to  a  certain  extent, 
explains  and  accounts  for  many  cases  of  material- 
ization which  have,  without  it,  appeared  doubt- 
ful, questionable,  and  even  suspicious;  but  even 
this  admission  does  not  do  away  with  all  doubts 
and  difficulties,  for  these  sometimes  depend  upon 
the  individual  capacities  of  the  different  mediums; 
and,  moreover,  we  never  know  just  how  far  the 
materialization  is  limited  by  existing  circum- 
stances. That  point  will  be  discussed  in  another 
chapter.  The  important  question  is  this:  Have 
we  enough  assured  facts  before  us  to  justify 
propositions  2  and  3  of  the  foregoing  general 
statement? 

We  are  now  in  a  position  to  reply  affirma- 
tively. 

I  shall  begin  with  a  case  within  my  own  per- 
sonal experience,  which  I  have  long  and  carefully 
considered,  and  which,  in  my  opinion,  so  strongly 
confirms  the  theory  as  to  be  almost  equivalent 
to  positive  proof  It  refers  to  an  incident  in  the 
classic  materialization  of  Katie  King,  and  T  have 
already  related  it  in  "  Animisme  et  Spiritisme," 
-but  I  reproduce  it  here  in  an  abridged  form. 
'  It  took  place  in  1873.  Professor  Crookes 
had  then  published  his  articles  on  psychic  force, 
but  did  not  yet  believe  in  materialization  and 
said  that  he  should  not  believe  in  it  until  he 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX .  15 

could  see  the  materialized  form  and  the  medium, 
at  the  same  time.  As  I  was  then  in  London,  I 
very  naturally  desired  to  witness  this  phenome- 
non—  always  wonderful  —  with  my  own  eyes. 

iVfter  I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mr. 
Cook's  famil}',  I  was  very  cordially  invited  to  be 
present  at  the  seance  arranged  for  October  2 2d. 
The  circle  was  to  be  held  in  a  small  room,  used 
as  a  dining-room.  The  medium,  Miss  Florence 
Cook,  sat  upon  a  chair,  in  a  nook  formed  by  the 
chimney  and  one  side  of  the  room,  behind  a  cur- 
tain sliding  on  rings.  ]Mr.  Luxmore,  who  di- 
rected the  seance,  insisted  that  I  should  care- 
fully attest  the  manner  and  place  in  which  he 
bound  the  medium,  as  he  always  considered  that 
precaution  necessary.  He  first  attached  to  each 
of  the  medium's  hands  a  strong  band,  secured  by 
knots;  then,  joining  the  hands  behind  her  back, 
he  tied  them  with  the  ends  of  the  same  band  and 
secured  them  with  fresh  knots;  then  they  were 
still  further  tied  to  a  long  cord,  which  was  passed 
outside  the  curtain  through  a  sliding  copper 
ring,  carried  to  a  table  beside  which  ]\Ir.  Lux- 
more  sat,  and  finally  made  fast  to  the  table. 

The  whole  was  so  arranged  that  the  medium 
could  not  rise  without  pulling  the  cord.  The 
room  was  lighted  by  a  small  lamp  placed  behind 
a  book.    In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the 


16       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZ ATION. 


curtain  was  drawn  aside  far  enough  to  discover  a 
human  form  standing  inside,  clothed  in  white, 
and  bare-faced,  but  the  hair  was  covered  with  a 
white  veil.  Hands  and  arms  were  bare.  It  was 
Katie  King.  All  the  time  that  the  seance  lasted, 
Katie  talked  with  the  members  of  the  circle.  Her 
voice  was  modulated  to  a  murmur.  She  several 
times  said,  "Ask  me  questions- — sensible  ques- 
tions." Thereupon,  I  asked,  "  Can  you  not  show 
me  your  medium?"  She  answered,  "Yes,  come 
quick  and  look."  In  an  instant  I  had  drawn  back 
the  curtain,  for  I  had  but  one  pace  to  step,  but 
the  white  figure  had  vanished. 

Before  me,  in  the  dark  corner,  was  the  shad- 
owy form  of  the  medium,  seated  in  her  chair. 
She  wore  a  black  dress,  and  for  that  reason  I 
could  not  see  her  very  plainly.  As  soon  as  1 
had  reached  my  place,  Katie's  white  figure  re- 
appeared at  the  curtain  and  asked,  "Did  you  see 
her  plainly?"  I  answered,  "Not  very  well,  for 
it  is  quite  dark  behind  the  curtain."  "  Then  bring 
the  light,  and  look  quick,"  she  commanded  quite 
sharply.  In  a  second  I  was  behind  the  curtain 
with  the  lamp  in  my  hand,  but  all  trace  of  Katie 
was  gone.  There  was  absolutely  nothing  there 
but  the  medium,  deeply  entranced,  seated  as  be- 
fore, with  her  hands  tied  behind  her  back.  The 
light,  falling  upon  her  face,  produced  the  custom- 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATE  RI ALIZ ATTON . 


17 


ary  effect:  the  medium  began  to  shudder  and  to 
awake.  An  interesting  conversation  now  took 
place  behind  the  curtain,  between  the  half-awak- 
ened medium  and  Katie,  who  tried  to  put  her  to 
sleep  again.  But  she  was  forced  to  yield,  said 
o^ood-bve.  and  silence  followed.  The  seance 
was  at  an  end.  ^Ir.  Luxmore  requested  me  to 
make  a  careful  examination  of  the  cords,  knots, 
and  seals.  All  were  intact,  and  when  he  asked 
me  to  cut  the  bands  I  could  hardly  introduce 
the  scissors  beneath  them,  so  tightlv  were  the 
hands  tied. 

iMv  contidence  in  the  o-enuineness  of  this  man- 
ifestation is  absolute.  ^Moreover.  I  consider  it  of 
the  very  lirst  importance  in  conrirmation  of  the 
principal  theory  with  which  we  are  dealing. 
How  are  we  to  understand  the  phenomenon,  and 
what  conclusions  are  we  to  draw  trom  itr  Katie 
bore  what  is  called  a  perfect  resemblance  to  the 
medium.  The  likeness  was  such  that  it  might 
have  deceived  the  medium  herself:  not  in  illu- 
sory form  only,  but  in  liesh  and  bone,  with  a 
heart  and  with  lungs,  as  Professor  Crookes  has 
demonstrated.  Can  it  reasonably  be  admitted 
that  the  medium,  at  a  given  moment,  can  have 
fzi-o  co]]ipJefe  bodies,  —  one  in  the  form  of  Katie 
King,  outside  the  cabinet:  the  other,  her  own 
proper  form,  inside  the  cabinet?    Evidentlv  not. 


18       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


The  cords,  remaining  intact,  prove  that  Katie 
King  was  not  the  medium  in  person,  uncon- 
sciously playing  the  role  of  the  spirit.  The 
medium  could  not,  in  an  instant,  divest  herself 
of  her  black  dress,  escape  from  her  bonds,  re- 
clothe  herself,  re-tie  herself,  etc.,  etc.,  even  if  it 
were  physically  possible  for  her  to  untie  herself 
and  to  re-tie  herself  and  replace  the  knots  and 
seals,  in  a  longer  time.  We  may,  therefore, 
safely  presume  that,  if  I  could  have  passed  Katie, 
or  could  have  seen  inside  the  cabinet  while  Katie 
was  outside  it,  I  should  not  even  then  have  seen 
the  medium^  —  but  should  have  seen  her  gar- 
ments, at  most,  and  more  likely,  nothing  at  all. 
But  how  explain  that  change  of  form  —  as 
quick  as  lightning  —  to  the  medium,  clothed  and 
bound  ?  The  garments  and  the  cords  should 
have  fallen  to  the  ground  if  the  bod}^  was  with- 
drawn from  inside  them.  How,  then,  restore 
the  position  of  these?  The  necessary  supposi- 
tion is  that  the  body  is  not  entirely  dematerial- 
ized,  that  a  "  substratum  "  —  an  astral  body  —  re- 
mains to  keep  the  position  of  the  cords  and  gar- 
ments, in  such  a  way  that  the  borrowed  matter 
can  in  an  instant  be  withdrawn  from  the  mate- 
rialized figure  and  reunite  with  that  "substra- 
tum ;  "  thus  restoring  the  medium  to  her  former 
position  and  condition. 


A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  19 


We  know  that  at  seances  in  full  light,  mate- 
rialized hands  appear  with  incredible  rapidity, 
and  disappear,  (that  is,  are  reabsorbed  into  the 
medium  again,)  with  like  rapidity. 

The  phenomena  are,  then,  the  same.  This 
hypothesis  is  supported  by  a  fully  authenticated 
fact,  in  the  following  incident  which  happened 
to  Colonel  H.  S.  Olcott  in  America,  in  1874, 
with  Mrs.  E.  J.  Compton  as  medium.  The 
Colonel  thus  relates  the  occurrence  in  his  book 
"People  from  the  Other  World: 

"  My  first  sitting  with  the  medium  occurred 
January  20th,  1874.  The  spectators,  numbering 
twenty-four,  were  seated  in  chairs  placed  around 
the  room  at  a  distance  of  about  eight  feet  from 
the  cabinet;  Mrs.  Compton  took  her  place  on  a 
chair  inside  it,  the  light  was  turned  very  low, 
and  for  a  long  time  nothing  of  interest  happened. 
At  last  the  door  of  the  cabinet  opened  and  the 
figure  of  an  Indian  appeared  on  the  threshold 
and  questioned  us.  He  greeted  me  cordially, 
but  did  not  come  out,  stating  that  the  medium 
was  too  weak  and  infirm  to  furnish  the  necessary 
power. 

"The  next  evening  little  Katie  Brink  appeared 

^  Being  unable  to  obtain  a  copy  of  this  book,  I  have  to  re-translate 
the  extract  from  Mons.  Aksakof's  version  in  French. — Trans- 
lator. 


20       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


and  went  round  the  circle,  touching  several  per- 
sons and  patting  their  hands.  Robed  in  floating 
drapery  of  white  muslin-crepee,  her  head  cov- 
ered by  a  bridal  veil  which  fell  to  her  knees, 
gliding  on  white  slippers,  and  but  half  seen  in 
the  dim  light,  she  reminded  me  of  Goethe's 
Bride  of  Corinth.  .  ^  . 

"  Passing  from  the  other  participants,  she  came 
to  me  where  I  sat,  a  little  to  one  side,  with  one 
hand  resting  against  the  partition  of  the  cabinet, 
and,  passing  her  hand  softly  across  my  forehead, 
seated  herself  upon  my  knee,  placed  an  arm 
around  my  neck  and  kissed  my  left  cheek.  Her 
hands  appeared  scarcely  as  large  as  those  of  an 
eight-year-old  child;  but  I  felt  the  firm  flesh  of 
her  arm  upon  my  shoulder,  and  the  lips  that 
kissed  me  were  as  natural  as  any  living  human 
being's.  After  we  had  chatted  some  time,  I 
entered  the  cabinet,  while  the  little  one  remained 
outside.  /  found  no  medium  there^  though  I 
closely  examined  the  recess,  and,  the  better  to 
assure  myself  that  I  was  not  mistaken,  I  felt  of 
the  chair,  the  walls,  and  all  around  the  enclos- 
ure. There  was  but  one  possible  alternative: 
either  the  spirit  was  no  spirit  but  the  medium 
herself,  or  the  medium  had  been  transfigured 
after  the  manner  of  the  Oriental  thaumaturgists 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


21 


(evoquers  of  the  dead).  I  would  solve  the 
doubt  before  leaving  the  city. 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  having  ob- 
tained the  kind  consent  of  Mrs.  Compton  to  sub- 
mit to  my  investigation,  I  took  off  her  earrings, 
seated  her  in  a  chair  in  the  cabinet,  and  secured 
her  by  passing  a  No.  50  thread  through  the  holes 
pierced  in  her  ears  and  sealing  the  ends  of  the 
thread  tightly  to  the  chair,  with  sealing  wax 
and  a  private  seal.  .  .  . 

"  When  the  light  had  been  lowered,  as  is 
usual  at  such  sittings,  and  the  door  of  the  cabinet 
closed,  we  sang  for  some  minutes.  Suddenly  a 
pair  of  hands  swept  across  the  opening  from 
right  to  left,  and  disappeared  as  suddenly.  Then 
came  another  pair  of  larger  hands,  and  then  a 
voice  spoke  to  me,  (if  it  was  not  that  of  the 
deceased  Daniel  Webster,  it  was  at  least  an 
exact  reproduction  in  depth,  sonority  and  tone, 
as  nearly  as  I  can  remember  it,)  and  dictated 
complete  instructions  and  measures  of  caution 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  I  should  conduct  my 
investigation.  When  I  entered  the  cabinet  while 
a  spirit  was  outside,  I  might  tap  and  feel  all 
around,  to  convince  myself  that  the  medium  was 
not  there,  but  must  be  careful  not  actually  to 
touch  the  chair.  I  might  put  my  hands  as  close 
as  I  desired,  but  he  begged  me  to  avoid  direct 


22       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


contact  with  the  frame  of  the  chair.  Then,  I 
was  to  put  a  cover  —  no  matter  of  what  kind  — 
over  the  plate  of  the  scales,  so  that  the  spirit 
would  not  come  in  contact  with  either  wood  or 
metal.  I  promised  to  follow  these  instructions 
closely,  and  immediately  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  the  little  girl  in  white  at  the  open  door. 
She  came  forward,  passed  around  the  circle, 
touched  several  persons  and  went  close  up  to 
others.  I  was  sitting,  ready  to  act,  with  one 
hand  upon  the  weights  and  the  other  at  the  end 
of  the  lever,  and  took  her  weight  without  loss  of 
a  second,  as  soon  as  she  mounted  the  scales. 
She  immediately  returned  to  the  cabinet,  while 
I  read  the  figures  by  the  light  of  a  match.  She 
weighed  but  77  pounds,  though  her  form  did 
not  look  childish. 

"The  spirit  then  came  out  again  and  I  instantly 
entered  the  cabinet.  I  examined  everything  with 
the  greatest  care,  but,  as  before,  found  no  trace 
of  the  medium.  The  chair  was  there,  but  no 
body  was  now  seated  in  it.  I  then  asked  the 
child-spirit  to  make  herself  lighter,  if  possible, 
and  to  remount  the  scales.  I  brought  the  lever 
to  equilibrium  as  quickly  as  before,  and  when 
she  had  again  retired,  I  read  her  weight  at  59 
pounds.  She  appeared  once  more;  this  time  she 
went  from  one  to  another  of  the  spectators, 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  23 


touched  the  forehead  of  one  and  the  hand  of 
another,  seated  herself  on  Mr.  Hardy's  knee, 
placed  her  hand  softly  on  my  head,  patted  my 
cheek,  and  mounted  the  platform  of  the  scales  to 
give  me  a  last  test.  She  now  weighed  but  52 
pounds,  although  from  beginning  to  end  no 
change,  either  in  her  garments  or  in  her  bodil}^ 
appearance,  had  been  observed.  .  .  . 

"  The  weighing  ended,  Katie  appeared  no 
more.  After  a  few  moments  had  elapsed,  we 
were  addressed  in  the  deep  and  guttural  base  of 
the  Indian  chief,  who  appeared  at  the  door.  A 
conversation  then  followed  between  him  and 
Mr.  Hardy,  who  had  lived  for  some  years  among 
the  native  Indians  of  the  West,  and  who  bore 
witness  to  the  correctness  of  the  language  spoken 
by  the  spirit-chief. 

"  I  entered  the  cabinet  with  a  light,  and  found 
the  medium  exactly  as  I  had  left  her  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  seance,  every  thread  and  every 
seal  intact.  She  sat  with  her  head  resting  against 
the  wall,  her  flesh  pale  and  cold  as  marble,  the 
pupils  rolled  up  beneath  the  eyelids,  her  forehead 
covered  with  a  kind  of  death-like  moisture, 
without  breath  or  pulse.  When  all  had  exam- 
ined the  threads  and  seals,  I  cut  the  threads  with 
scissors  and  carried  the  cataleptic  w^oman  into 
the  fresh  air  of  the  room,  lifting  her  chair  by  the 


24       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


seat  and  back.  She  remained  thus,  lifeless,  for 
eighteen  minutes;  life  then  returned  to  her  body 
little  by  little,  the  pulse  and  the  temperature  of 
her  flesh  became  normal  once  more.  I  placed 
her  upon  the  scales  and  she  weighed  121 
pounds." 

As,  according  to  this,  the  form  of  Katie  Brink 
weighed  77  pounds,  there  remained  but  44 
pounds  of  the  body  of  the  medium  in  the  cabi- 
net—  a  little  more  than  one  third  of  her  normal 
weight  —  and  even  then  the  body,  clothing  and 
threads  were  all  invisible  to  the  human  eye. 
We  must,  therefore,  assume  that  there  was  some 
sort  of  body  remaining,  which  served  the  pur- 
pose of  the  medium's  body,  and  acted  as  an 
invisible  support  for  her  garments  and  the  thread. 
But  the  form  of  Katie  Brink,  instead  of  resem- 
bling that  of  the  medium,  was  more  like  that  of 
an  eight-years-old  child.  How,  then,  could  any- 
thing whatever  remain  of  the  body  of  Miss  Cook, 
when  Katie  King  is  reported  by  Prof.  Crookes 
as  being  still  larger  than  her  medium? 

We  have  all  the  more  right  to  argue  that  what 
remained  was  invisible,  and  that  the  re-absorp- 
tion of  the  materialized  form  into  the  astral  body 
(which  remained  seated  in  the  chair)  was 
almost  instantaneous.  Those  who  have  made 
any  study  of  materialized  hands  know  how  rap- 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZATION.  25 


idly  those  hands  form  and  return  into  the  body 
of  the  medium,  and  this  should  enable  us  to  un- 
derstand the  rapid  disappearance  of  an  entire 
figure. 

Mr.  Crookes  has  repeatedly  remarked  that 
when  he  entered  the  cabinet  with  Katie,  she  in- 
stantly disappeared.  As  he  persistently  insisted 
upon  seeing  the  materialized  form  and  the  me- 
dium together,  he  finally  succeeded,  but  only 
once  and  in  the  dark;  and  then  Katie  could  not 
even  speak,  as  she  was  but  half  materialized.  It 
is  a  pity  that  Katie  King's  form  was  not  weighed, 
for  it  is  probable  that  she  appropriated  nine 
tenths  of  the  matter  in  the  body  of  her  medium. 

Here  I  will  relate  an  experience  of  my  own, 
which  confirms  the  two  preceding  cases. 

In  1890,  I  went  to  Gottenburg  expressly  to 
hold  a  series  of  materializino^  seances  with  Mad- 
am  d'Esperance.  She  had  ofiered  to  submit  to 
all  test  conditions  which  I  might  deem  neces- 
sary to  convince  me  of  the  genuineness  of  the 
phenomena  —  a  privilege  which  she  had  not  yet 
accorded  to  any  one  else. 

At  the  seance  of  June  5  th,  I  was  seated,  as  is  my 
custom,  close  to  the  corner  of  the  cabinet,  with 
Madam  d'Esperance  inside  it  and  beside  me. 
The  curtain  alone  separated  us,  its  lateral  open- 
ing being  close  to  m^y  right  shoulderj  and  I  had 


26       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


but  to  draw  the  curtain  a  little  to  see  the  medi- 
um. The  materialized  form  known  by  the  name 
of  Yolande  had  already  shown  herself  several 
times,  and  had  made  the  tour  of  the  circle  lean- 
ing on  my  arm.  A  lamp,  suspended  from  the 
ceiling  and  wrapped  in  several  folds  of  red  pa- 
per, shed  a  dim  light,  but  when  I  was  directly 
beneath  the  lamp  with  Yolande,  the  light  was 
strong  enough  for  me  to  positively  recognize  the 
features  of  the  medium  in  her  face.  When  we 
approached  the  cabinet,  I  resumed  my  seat,  but 
Yolande  remained  standing  at  a  short  distance 
from  me,  in  the  opening  at  the  center  of  the  cur- 
tain. Then,  without  taking  my  eyes  from  her,  I 
softly  passed  my  right  arm  through  the  side 
opening  in  the  drapery  of  the  cabinet.  I  had 
only  to  reach  a  little  way  to  make  sure  if  the  me- 
dium was  in  her  place,  and  I  did  so.  The  medi- 
um had  been  seated  on  a  low,  upholstered  fau- 
teuil.  I  raised  my  hand  to  the  top  of  its  back, 
and  then  let  it  slide  along  the  back  to  the  seat. 
The  medium  was  not  there. 

But  at  the  very  instant  that  my  hand  touched 
the  seat,  Yolande  entered  the  cabinet  and  a  hand 
fell  upon  mine  and  thrust  it  aside.  Immediately 
afterwards  the  medium  asked  me  for  a  drink,  and 
I  handed  it  to  her  through  the  same  opening  in 
the  curtain.    The  medium  was  in  her  place,  in 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  27 

her  red  dress  with  tight  sleeves.  An  instant 
before,  YoLande  was  still  there,  in  a  white  dress, 
with  arms  bare  to  the  shoulders  and  bare  feet, 
and  with  a  white  veil  covering  her  head  and 
bust;  now  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen;  exactly 
as  was  the  case  with  Katie  King. 

This  experience  gave  me  much  food  for  reflec- 
tion. 

How  could  Yolande,  who  was  half  without 
the  cabinet,  know  of  the  movement  of  my  hand 
^vithin  it  ?  It  was  absolutely  impossible,  because 
of  the  almost  perfect  darkness,  for  her  to  see  me 
lower  my  arm  along  my  chair,  or  insert  it  behind 
the  curtain.  It  was  still  more  impossible  to  see 
what  I  there  did  with  it,  or  even  where  my  hand 
was;  nevertheless,  the  hand  which  grasped  mine 
and  thrust  it  away,  moved  as  accurately  and 
precisely  as  if  mv  hand  was  seen  bv  the  light  of 
day. 

If  it  was  really  the  medium  herself  who,  con- 
sciously or  unconsciously,  personated  Yolande, 
and  if  the  sofa  was  really  empty,  the  medium 
could  neither  have  seen  nor  have  felt  the  groping 
of  my  hand,  and  would  have  kept  on  playing  the 
role  of  spirit;  she  would  have  remained  at  her 
place,  or  might  have  entered  the  cabinet,  or 
might  even  have  entered  and  gone  out  again, 
as  if  nothing  had  occurred. 


28       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


But  there  had  been  a  derangement;  Yolande 
appeared  no  more  that  night,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  close  the  seance. 

As  I  heard  it  said  the  next  day  that  something 
had  frightened  the  medium,  I  questioned  Madam 
d'Esperance  without  saying  anything  of  what  I 
knew.  She  answered  that,  towards  the  end  of 
the  seance,  she  had  felt  as  if  something  was  mov- 
ing over  her  from  her  head  to  her  shoulders, 
and  that  this  had  so  alarmed  her  that  she  had  let 
fall  the  hand  upon  which  she  was  resting  her 
head;  that  her  hand  had  encountered  another 
hand,  which  frightened  her  very  much  more. 

This  account  of  itself  was  very  strange. 
Madame  d'Esperance  had  felt  exactly  such 
impressions  as  she  should  have  felt  if  she  had 
retained  her  place  all  the  time.  But  my  hand 
had  not  come  in  contact  with  her  form.  What, 
then,  had  received  those  impressions?  Was  it 
not  a  necessary  inference  that  some  simulacre  of 
her  body  had  remained  in  the  seat — a  simulacre 
endowed  with  sensation  and  consciousness? 

Madame  d'Esperance  also  possessed  the  gift 
of  mediumistic  writing;  in  this  wa}^  outside  her 
seances,  she  received  communications  in  the 
name  of  a  certain  "Walter,"  who  declared  him- 
self the  director  of  the  materializing  phenomena. 
I  wished  to  try  this  resource  also,  and  see  what 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION . 


29 


explanation  I  could  get  in  that  way.  The  day 
after  the  seance,  I  asked  Madam  d'Esperance  to 
hold  a  pencil,  and  the  following  conversation  re- 
sulted between  the  spirit,  Walter,  and  me: 

"  Did  you  see  what  alarmed  the  medium  ?  " 

"Yes:  a  hand  was  placed  first  upon  her  face, 
then  upon  her  knees,  then  upon  her  hand;  that 
is  all." 

"Whose  hand?"  for  I  still  kept  my  secret. 

^*  I  did  not  see,  for  my  attention  was  wholly 
occupied  with  the  fright  of  the  medium." 

"My  chief  desire  is  to  see  Yolande  and  the 
medium  at  the  same  time.    Is  that  possible?  " 

"All  depends  upon  how  much  remains  [of  the 
medium] ." 

"If  I  suddenly  looked  into  the  cabinet,  should 
I  find  the  medium  gone  from  her  place?" 

"Very  likely.  It  depends  upon  where  the 
matter  is  taken  from  to  build  up  the  form  of 
Yolande.  If  there  is  a  certain  amount  in  the 
circle,  so  that  we  need  not  depend  solel}-  upon 
the  medium,  you  could  see  her  as  well  as  at  this 
moment." 

Some  days  later,  when  Yolande  had  several 
times  been  out  of  the  cabinet,  (while  the  medium 
was  secured  by  a  band  of  cloth,  which  I  had  my- 
self adjusted  each  time  so  that  it  encircled  her 
waist  and  the  ends  were  then  passed  through  a 


30       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


staple  fixed  in  the  floor  and  were  finally  fastened 
to  my  chair,)  I  asked  Walter: 

"  How  much  has  remained  of  the  medium  re- 
cently, when  Yolande  came  out?" 

"  I  don't  believe  much  remains  of  the  medium 
except  her  organs  o  f  sense P 

"  If,  when  the  medium's  body  is  almost  en- 
tirely dematerialized,  I  put  my  hand  softly  on 
her  chair,  could  it  injure  the  medium?" 

"  It  might,  if  you  pressed  heavily.  If  the  ma- 
terialized form  was  hurt  in  any  way  the  medium 
would  feel  it  instantly." 

"  And  if  I  passed  my  hand  across  the  space 
occupied  by  what  remains  of  the  medium's  de- 
materialized  body,  when  she  was  herself  invis- 
ible?" 

That  would  injure  her  very  seriously  if  we 
were  not  on  guard  to  prevent  any  such  mis- 
chance. To  attempt  it  would  be  a  dangerous 
experiment." 

"Then  if  I  should  pull  the  band  of  cloth  which 
encircles  the  medium's  waist,  I  might  cut  her 
body  in  two  ?  " 

"Yes;  but  that  would  not  happen  unless  all 
the  substance  of  her  body  had  been  drawn 
away,  which  is  very  rarely  the  case,  though  fre- 
quently there  is  very  little  left." 

"  Then  the  invisibility  of  the  medium's  body 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  31 


to  the  e}'e  of  the  spectator,  is  no  proof  that  no 
body  is  there  ?  " 

^' Certainly  not:  it  onl\'  shows  that  you  have 
not  eyes  sensitive  enough  to  see  it.  A  clairvoy- 
ant could  see  it,  though  you  could  not." 

^Nladam  d'Esperance  was  astonished  at  these 
replies,  made  through  her  own  hand.  She  re- 
peatedly exclaimed: 

This  is  all  news  to  me:  it  is  a  revelation  I  I 
ahvays  supposed  that  no  change  took  place  in 
my  bod\"." 

"  But  it  is  impossible."  I  obiected.  "that  you 
should  feel  no  alteration  during  such  an  extraor- 
dinary manifestation  as  materialization." 

"  I  lelt  a  change,  it  is  true."  was  her  replv. 
"but  I  was  profoundh'  convinced  that  it  was 
only  a  deceptive  sensation." 

"Can  you  describe  the  change  for  me?" 
I  felt  as  i  f  I  z: as  ejiipty  iiiside^^  said  she. 

This  is  a  very  significant  response,  perfectly 
consonant  with  the  facts  as  stated  above,  and 
with  the  theory  deduced  therefrom.  Xor  did 
]\Iadam  d'Esperance  even  yet  believe  that  the 
feeling  of  einptijiess  could  be  more  than  a  sim- 
pl}'  subjective  sensation. 

In  the  sequel,  the  interesting  details  of  a  long 
examination  to  which  I  subjected  ^ladam  d'Es- 
perance, the  notes  of  my  visit  to  Gottenburg, 


32       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


and  her  impressions  during  the  seances,  will 
be  found.  These  details  are  unique  in  kind,  for 
she  is  a  medium  unique  among  mediums;  she 
does  not  become  entranced,  and  is  conscious  of 
all  that  transpires  about  her  during  the  material- 
izing seances.  The  time  has  come  to  publish 
these,  now  that  we  have  objective  proof,  visible 
and  tangible,  of  the  accuracy  of  her  assertions. 
They  can  no  longer  be  regarded  as  merely  sub- 
jective. 


CHAPTER  II. 


accouxt  of  a  seaxce  givex  by  madam 
d'esperaxce  at  helsixgfors.  fixlaxd. 
december  iith.  1s93.  at  which  the  phe- 
xo^rExox  of  partial  de:\iaterializatiox 

OF   THE   body  of   THE   MEDIU^I  A\'AS  DEMOX- 

strated  by  sight  axd  touch. 

^Nladam  d'Esperance  was  kind  enough,  after 
her  visit  to  Helsingfors  in  November.  1893,  to 
pass  live  davs  at  mv  residence  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, during  which  she  gave  ten  seances  in  mv 
house,  whicli  were  most  satisfactory  to  all  who 
took  part.'  On  her  return  iourney  to  Sweden, 
she  stopped  two  days  at  Helsingfors.  whence  I 
recei\-ed  this  letter,  written  the  day  after  her 
arrival : 

Helsixgfor,s.  December  12th.  1S93. 

My  Dear  Friend:  We  held  another  seance  last  even- 
ing, although  I  did  not  feel  verv  much  inclined  to  do  so  ; 
but  I  preferred  not  to  put  it  off  till  tomorrow,  fearing  all 
sorts  of  interferences. 

The  sitting  took  place  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Selling,  the 
engineer,  and  I  think  there  were,  in  all.  fourteen  persons. 
The  manifestations  were  of  a  verv  extraordinarv  character, 
and.  as  I  thought  a  description  of  them  would  interest  you. 

*  See  Psychische  Studien.  January  and  April  numbers.  1S94. 

A. A. 


34       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


I  asked  Mr.  Seiling  and  General  Toppelius  to  write  an 
account  and  send  it  to  you.  The  gentlemen  readily  prom- 
ised to  do  this.  The  notable  feature  of  this  seance  was 
that  half  of  my  body  disappeared,  though  I  only  happened 
to  discover  it  by  the  merest  chance.  My  head,  or  rather 
my  neck,  gave  me  much  pain  and  I  was  supporting  it 
with  my  hands  crossed  behind  it,  as  that  seemed  to  dimin- 
ish the  suffering  somewhat.  My  arms  became  tired  in 
that  position  and,  thinking  to  rest  them  on  my  knees,  I 
discovered  that  there  were  no  knees  where  mine  should 
be  and  that  my  hands,  instead  of  resting  upon  them, 
rested  against  the  chair,  itself.  This  frightened  me  a  little 
and  I  wished  to  find  out  if  it  was  true,  or  if  I  was  dream- 
ing. The  light  was  pretty  good  and  I  drew  my  neighbor's 
attention  to  the  matter ;  he  examined  the  chair  and  so 
did  four  others,  and  all  attested  the  fact  that  only  the 
upper  part  of  my  body  was  tangible.^ 

The  seat  was  empty  except  for  my  garments,  but  arms, 
shoulders  and  chest  were  in  the  ordinary  place.  I  could 
speak,  move  my  head  and  arms,  drink  water,  and  even  feel 
sensations  as  if  in  knees  and  feet,  though  the  latter  were 
invisible. 

During  this  time,  forms  came  and  went,  but  only  showed 
themselves  ;  hands  of  various  shapes  and  sizes  touched  per- 
sons nearest  the  cabinet. 

I  think  fully  an  hour  must  have  elapsed  from  the  time 
when  I  discovered  my  peculiar  condition  ;  plenty  of  time 
for  proof,  and  more  than  enough  for  me,  as  I  was  anxious 
to  know  if  I  should  ever  recover  possession  of  my  limbs 
and  be  able  to  use  them.  I  became  very  nervous  over  this 
uncertainty. 

^  Literally  "  truly  existed."  —  Translator. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZATION .  35 


This  is  a  brief  rhume  of  what  occurred  but  I  hope  some 
one  will  send  vou  a  circumstantial  account. 

Cordially  vours.  etc.. 

E.  d'Esperaxce. 

Knowing  the  writer  of  this  letter  to  be  a  person 
of  absolute  veracity.  I  had  not  the  slightest  rea- 
son to  doubt  her  statements,  and  readily  recog- 
nized the  great  importance  of  the  facts  related 
in  contirmation  of  the  theory  of  all  such  phe- 
nomena. But  the  hrst  essential  was  to  tind  out 
how  accurately  it  had  been  observed  by  those 
present,  and  how  far  their  testimony  would  pre- 
vail in  establishing  a  truth  almost  as  incredible 
as  fable.  It  is  easy  to  understand  with  what  im- 
patience I  awaited  the  particulars  and  with  what 
pleasure  I  received  the  three  narratives  which 
General  Toppelius  was  so  kind  as  to  send  me. 
I  give  them  here  in  the  tirst  place,  together  with 
the  correspondence  to  which  they  led: 

I.  Testoioxy  of  ]Mi5s  Hjelt.  — Full  Account  of  the 

Seance. 

A.  Lettei' from  Miss  Hjelt  to  Mons.  Aksakof} 

[Orig"inal  in  Svredish.] 

Sir  :  In  compliance  with  the  request  of  ]Madam  d"Espe- 
rance,  I  send  you  the  particulars  of  the  last  seance  she  held 
here,  December  nth,  1893. 

^  Miss  Hjelt.  besides  being  the  founder  and  directress  of  a  large 
school  of  sculpture  and  engraving  on  wood,  at  Helsingfors.  has 


36       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATlON. 


The  seance  took  place  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Selling,  an 
engineer.  The  arrangements  were  almost  the  same  as 
those  at  preceding  seances,  with  the  sole  difference  that 
there  was  more  light  on  this  occasion.  My  observations 
were  as  follows  :  — 

Before  the  Seance.  The  medium  entered  the  room  in 
full  light  and  took  her  seat  in  a  large  upholstered  chair, 
with  a  stuffed  back.  The  medium  laid  aside  the  little 
shawl  which  she  generally  wore  about  her  shoulders  at  the 
previous  sittings  because  the  room  that  we  then  occupied 
was  larger  and  colder.  She  afterwards  offered  it  for  our 
use  in  reducing  the  amount  of  light,  and  it  was  accepted 
for  that  purpose.  She  took  off  her  gloves  and  put  them  in 
her  pocket.  Before  the  seance  began,  she  put  nothing  else 
in  her  pocket,  not  even  her  handkerchief.  I  took  partic- 
ular notice  of  these  things  because  I  had  heard  it  suggested, 
after  other  seances,  that  this  shawl  might  be  used  in  the 
manifestations,  just  as  the  gloves  might  pass  for  hands,  if 
displayed  against  a  white  back-ground,  while  the  medium 
was  walking  about  the  room,  in  the  character  of  a  spirit. 
When  the  medium  made  the  slightest  motion,  in  conveying 
the  gloves  to  her  pocket,  I  heard  a  sound  as  of  keys  or 
money  shaken  in  that  pocket.  I  resolved  to  keep  my  senses 
on  the  alert  to  observe  if,  during  the  seance,  this  noise  was 
repeated,  some  one  in  the  circle  having  insinuated  that  the 
medium  might  easily  have  imposed  upon  us.  It  seemed 
impossible  for  her  to  move  without  making  the  same  noise 
again  ;  and,  for  myself,  I  then  and  there  concluded  that 
nothing  could  be  more  rash  than  for  anyone  meditating  an 

written  the  following  brochures:  —  Uautorisation  d" apprendre 
un  metier  dans  les  ecoles  dites professiofinelies.'' — ''La  fenime  dans 
son  champ  d'activite  pratique-'  —  "  Methode  de  sculpture  sur  bois 
pour  les  enfants."  —  A. A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATIOX.  37 


imposition  of  the  kind  to  carry  such  noisy  articles  in  her 
pocket.  In  the  entire  course  of  the  ensuing  seance,  how- 
ever, I  detected  no  repetition  of  the  sounds. 

Before  the  seance  opened.  I  noticed  that  the  medium 
crossed  her  hands  behind  her  head  and,  with  a  movement 
of  extreme  weariness,  stretched  herself  and  leaned  her  neck 
against  her  hands.  This  gesture,  made  when  the  room 
was  still  quite  well  lighted,  was  perfectlv  natural  and  made 
me  think  that  she  had  slept  ill  in  the  cars  when  returning 
from  St.  Petersburg. 

•  During  the  Seance,  The  sitting  commenced.  In  a 
circle  composed  of  fifteen  persons,  I  was  the  third  at  the 
right  of  the  medium.  This  position  was  very  advantage- 
ous ;  I  had  the  medium  in  front  of  me,  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees,  and  the  whole  upper  part  of  her  bodv  was 
distinctlv  defined  in  demi-prolile  against  a  white  window- 
shutter,  lowered  over  one  of  the  windows.  I  was  so  close 
to  the  medium  that  I  could  see  her  form,  clothed  in  a  light 
dress,  her  hands  and  her  feet  —  the  latter  thrust  a  little  to 
the  front  and  crossed.  I  could,  therefore,  bv  bending 
slightly  forward,  both  see  and  hear  her  slightest  movement. 

We  had  not  long  to  wait.  A  hand  and  a  fore-arm 
reached  out  from  the  cabinet,  on  the  side  opposite  that  on 
which  I  was  sitting.  On  the  white  back-ground  of  the 
window-shutter  I  could  distinctlv  follow  its  movements 
and  even  those  of  the  fingers.  The  wrist  was  slender  and 
the  hand  appeared  to  be  a  woman's.  From  the  arm  hung 
a  rather  wide  sleeve  of  transparent,  gauze-like  tissue ; 
through  which,  though  imperfectly.  I  could  discern  the 
window-shutter.  The  material  was  somewhat  darker  than 
the  shutter.  The  hand  was  repeatedly  offered  to  those 
who  sat  nearest,  and  pressed  their  hands  ;  then  it  withdrew. 
A  little  later,  a  luminous  form  appeared  at  the  same  side 


38       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERI ALIZ ATION. 


of  the  cabinet  and  extended  its  hand  to  those  within  reach/ 
One  member  of  the  circle,  Mr.  Seiling,  handed  a  scissors 
to  the  spirit  and  asked  it  if  it  would '  kindly  cut  off  a  piece 
of  its  veil  for  him.  The  spirit  took  them  into  the  cabinet, 
but  a  few  minutes  later  it  returned  and  handed  the  scissors 
back  to  Mr.  Seiling.  He  expressed  his  disappointment  at 
not  receiving  a  portion  of  the  material  and  asked  per- 
mission to  cut  off  a  small  piece,  himself.  This  was  granted 
and  I  distinctly  heard  the  noise  of  the  scissors  as  he  cut  it, 
and  a  moment  after  he  remarked,  "  I  have  got  a  piece  of 
the  veil."^  While  these  things  were  happening,  I  distinctly 
saw  the  medium  and  her  hands.  Once,  she  leaned  for- 
ward and  turned  her  face  to  the  spirit,  as  if  she,  too,  wished 
'  to  see  it.^ 

j  A  luminous  form  now  appeared  between  the  folds  of  the 
!  curtain  at  the  center  of  the  cabinet ;  I  might  say  that  an 

upright  figure  stood  behind  the  medium's  chair.  The 
I    medium  sighed  heavily,  as  she  often  does  at  these  seances. 

The  sigh  seemed  to  indicate  suffering.    She  then  spoke 

these  words  : 

"Someone  in  the  cabinet  touched  me  from  behind;  I 
felt  it  very  plainly.""*      The  figure  thereupon  disappeared. 
One  of  the  gentlemen  suggested  that  the  medium  should 

^  See,  later,  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Seiling  and  of  Miss  Tavast- 
stjerna.  —  A. A. 

^  See  the  account  by  Mr.  Seiling  further  on.  —  A. A. 

^  See  Plate  No.  2.  Miss  Hjelt  sits  in  the  place  of  the  medium, 
and  turns  her  head  towards  the  apparition  of  a  right  hand.  The 
profile  of  the  head  and  bust  of  the  medi  im  is  shown  against  the 
shutter.  On  the  right  sit  Mr.  Boldt  and  Madam  Seiling.  See, 
further.  Chapter  III.  —  A. A. 

^Miss  Hjelt  told  me  that  she  saw  a  bust  behind  the  medium,  at 
the  middle  opening;  a  hand  was  then  lowered  and  touched  the 
medium's  shoulder.    See  Miss  H.'s  letter,  later.  —  A. A. 


Plate  Xo.  I. 


Plate  No.  2. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION .  41 


hold  a  pencil  and  paper,  to  see  if  the  spirits  would  dictate 
anv  arrangements,  or  anything  else  of  the  kind  The 
medium  hardlv  seemed  disposed  to  comply.  Perhaps  it 
is  not  worth  while  to  trouble  them  to  write."  said  she  ; 
"  wait  a  while."  But  the  recj[uest  was  repeated  and  some- 
one handed  her  paper  and  a  pencil.  She  took  them  with 
the  remark.  O,  well  !  I  will  hold  them  and  we  will  see  if 
it  does  any  good." 

At  this  time  I  plainly  saw  the  medium  holding  the  paper 
in  one  hand,  with  the  other  hand  crossed  over  it.  By  my 
side,  at  the  lateral  opening  of  the  cabinet,  a  hand,  a  fore- 
arm, and  part  of  an  arm,  were  repeatedly  shown,  and 
those  who  were  near  bv  shook  the  hand.  For  myself.  I 
onlv  cared  to  catch  a  fold  of  the  drapery  as  it  hung  down, 
and  to  feel  of  it  carefully.  It  felt  somewhat  moist  and  was 
of  verv  fine  texture.  The  hand  seemed  much  larger  than 
those  I  had  seen  before. 

Suddenly,  there  appeared  in  the  same  opening,  on  our 
side  of  the  cabinet,  a  tail,  luminous  figure.  It  apparently 
started  to  leave  the  cabinet,  took  a  step  forward  and  then 
drew  back.i  Almost  immediately  afterwards,  we  saw  an 
arm  thrust  out  of  the  cabinet ;  from  very  far  up  in  the 
same  lateral  opening,  it  descended  softlv  towards  the 
medium,  shinincr  brio^htlv  the  while.-  The  instant  it 
reached  the  medium,  it  snatched  the  paper  and  pencil  from 
her  hands,  with  a  movement  as  quick  as  lightning,  and 
bore  them  into  the  cabinet.    AVe  distinctly  heard  the  noise 

^  At  this  time  Miss  Hjelt  saw  both  the  medium  and  the  figure, 
whose  head  was  outside  the  cabinet,  very  distinctly.  It  looked  at 
the  medium  and  at  the  paper  she  held  in  her  hand.  — A. A. 

^  See  Plate  No.  i.  which  is  a  reproduction  of  a  photograph  taken 
March  3d.  1894.  for  Mons.  Aksakof,  under  conditions  described  in 
Chapter  III.,  hereafter.  —  A. A. 


42       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION . 


of  rumpling  paper  and  tearing  it  in  two,  after  which  the 
hand  reached  forth  and  gave  the  two  rumpled  pieces  to 
Capt.  Toppelius,  who  handed  them  to  the  medium.  The 
medium  held  the  paper  between  her  hands  —  the  pencil 
had  not  been  returned  —  when  the  same  luminous  arm  was 
again  lowered,  with  the  same  extreme  deliberation,  and 
again  snatched  the  paper  and  bore  it  into  the  cabinet.  We 
at  once  heard  the  noise  of  a  pencil  writing  rapidly  and  in 
another  moment  the  hand  brought  back  the  paper.  The 
nearest  person,  Mr.  Toppelius  took  it  and  started  again  to 
hand  it  to  the  medium,  wdien  the  hand,  (the  arm  as  well 
and  part  of  a  body  becoming  visible,)  forbade  him  to  do  so 
by  a  gesture  of  command,  seized  the  paper  and  returned  it 
to  Mr.  Toppelius,  placing  it  against  his  chest.  We  then 
comprehended  that  the  words  written  thereon  were  ad- 
dressed to  Capt.  Toppelius.  [After  the  seance,  we  were 
allowed  to  read  them  ;  they  were  as  foUow^s  :  —  ''''Jag  skal 
hjalpa  dig!  " —  "I  will  aid  thee."  They  were  written  in 
Swedish,  in  a  very  clear  hand.]  There  was  neither  chair 
nor  table  in  the  cabinet,  on  which  to  write.  All  this  oc- 
curred very  quickly,  but  so  openly  that  every  detail  could 
be  seen  by  all.  During  all  the  time  it  was  taking  place,  I 
saw  the  medium  very  plainly.  She  spoke  at  times.  She 
told  Mr.  Toppelius  to  put  the  paper  in  his  pocket  and  read 
it  later,  while  the  spirit  was  still  visible. 

From  all  this,  I  was  forced  to  draw  the  conclusion  that, 
in  the  cabinet,  two  hands  at  least  were  working  with 
psychic  force  and  with  definite  purpose.  These  hands 
could  not  belong  to  the  medium.  They  must  belong  to  a 
figure  which  stood  beside  and  behind  the  medium,  who  was 
seated^  whose  hands  and  body  I  saw  all  the  time,  and 
whom  I  heard  utter  an  exclamation  of  surprise  —  an 
"  Oh  !  "  —  when  the  paper  was  snatched. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION .  43 

I  afterwards  made  sure,  by  comparing  notes  with  others, 
that,  while  waiting^  for  fresh  manifestations,  which  drao^ored 
a  little,  the  medium  joined  both  her  hands  behind  her  head, 
as  she  had  done  before  the  seance.  While  she  was  in  this 
position,  it  struck  me  as  unfortunate  that  she  was  overtired 
to  such  an  extent  from  her  journey  and  I  ardently  hoped 
that  persons  sitting  further  from  her  than  I  was  would  not 
misinterpret  this  putting  of  her  hands  behind  her  neck, 
and  her  movement  in  stretching  her  limbs. 

Lookinof  from  a  distance,  these  motions  mig^ht  be  mis- 
construed  ;  but  near  at  hand,  they  could  never  be  !  ^ 

After  a  little,  she  let  her  hands  fall  upon  her  knees.  I 
then  saw  her  pat  her  skirt,  here  and  there,  with  her  hands 
and  observed  that  she  became  more  and  more  agitated  as 
she  did  so.  This  struck  me  as  singular.  I  bent  forward 
and  tried  mv  best  to  see  what  had  happened.  The  medium 
asrain  sisfhed  heavilv,  and  this  made  me  think  it  was  some- 
thing  unpleasant.  In  a  few  moments  she  said  to  her  near- 
est neighbor  at  the  left,  Mr.  Selling,  "  Give  me  your 
hand."  ]Mr.  Selling  rose  and  offered  his  hand  to  her. 
She  then  said  "Feel  here."  Mr.  Selling  replied,  "This 
is  very  strange.  I  see  ]Mme.  d'Esperance  and  hear  her 
speak  ;  but  on  touching  her  chair,  I  find  it  empty.  She  is 
not  there  ;  there  is  nothing  but  her  dress."  The  touch 
seemed  to  give  the  medium  acute  pain,  yet  she  asked 
several  persons  to  come  and  feel  of  the  chair.  She  took 
Capt.  Toppelius'  hands  in  her  own  and  passed  them  along 
the  upper  part  of  her  body  until  he  suddenly  touched  the 
seat  of  the  chair  ;  he  sho^\^ed  his  consternation  and  aston- 
ishment by  several  expressive  exclamations. 


'  -E-g-,  by  supposing  that  the  medium  had  risen  froni  her  seat. 

A.A. 


44       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


The  medium  permitted  five  persons  to  test  the  verity  of 
the  phenomenon,  and  each  time  it  seemed  to  cause  her 
great  distress.  Siie  asked  for  vv^ater  twice,  at  least,  and 
drank  v^ith  feverish  avidity  both  times  ;  she  was  visibly 
alarmed  and  was  nervously  impatient  while  waiting  for 
the  water. 

Against  f/ie  white  back-groimd  of  the  zvindow-curtai?!^ 
I  clearly  ajid  distinctly  saw  the  upper  part  of  the  medium's 
body,  each  time  that  she  leaned  forward.  Several  times 
she  had  occasion  to  reach  out  to  take  one  of  the  hands,  to 
guide  it  in  feeling  of  the  chair  and  of  her  body.  At  such 
times,  I  not  only  saw  the  front  of  her  w^aist,  but  also  her 
back,  which  was  defined  against  the  v^hite  curtain.  The 
outline  of  her  head  vs^as  thus  so  clearly  shown  that  I  could 
tell  the  style  in  which  her  hair  was  dressed.  I  cannot 
remember  how  much  of  her  body  remained,  below  the 
waist,  but  of  one  thing  I  am  certain  ;  namely,  that  it  did 
extend  below  the  waist ;  and  it  impressed  me  as  important 
that  I  saw  the  medium,  all  the  time,  on  a  level  with  myself. 

Once  she  bent  forward  as  one  does  when  suffering  sharp 
pain.  Her  body  was  then  in  the  position  of  one  who, 
while  seated,  crosses  her  hands  upon  her  lap  and  leans 
far  forward.  At  that  time  she  was  in  front  of  the  back 
of  the  chair.  She  could  not  have  been  behind  it ;  the 
back  of  the  chair  would  have  made  it  impossible  for  her  to 
occupy  the  position  I  have  described.  The  medium's  skirts 
remained  extended,  as  they  had  been  during  the  entire  se- 
ance, and  sloped  towards  her  feet.  They  seemed  to  lie 
more  flat  after  they  were  pressed  down  by  the  spectators. 

Some  one  in  the  circle  proposed  that  we  should  close 
the  seance  the  moment  that  it  proved  trying  to  the  strength 
of  the  medium,  but  she  opposed  this  proposition  and  re- 
quested that  the  sitting  should  be  continued  until  her 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  45 


limbs  were  restored.  We  therefore  went  on  with  the 
seance  and  I  kept  my  eyes  intently  fixed  upon  the  lower 
part  of  the  medium's  body,  in  order  to  observe  the  restora- 
tion of  her  members.^  Without  my  having  seen  the  least 
movement  of  her  skirts.  I  heard  the  medium  say  :  ''I  am 
better,  already,"  and  a  few  moments  later,  she  cried 
brightlv,  "  Here  they  are  '.  "  As  for  the  folds  of  her  skirt. 
I  saw  them,  so  to  speak,  fill  out;  and.  without  my  know- 
ing how,  the  tips  of  her  feet  re-appeared,  crossed,  as  they 
had  been  before  the  manifestation.' 

While  the  manifestation  lasted,  the  attention  of  all  was 
attracted  to  the  medium.  Conversation  was  interrupted, 
as  well  with  ]Madam  d'Esperance  as  between  the  members 
of  the  circle.  We  moved  about,  changed  places,  and  even 
walked  around  the  room.  etc. 

After  the  end  of  the  phenomenon,  the  cabinet  was 
moved  from  its  place.  The  medium  pushed  her  chair 
forward,  fearing  that  the  cabinet  would  fall  upon  her. 
While  the  medium  was  thus  seated  at  a  distance  from 
it.  and  while  I  distinctly  saw  both  her  hands  and  her  feet, 
the  cabinet  moved  from  its  place  several  times. 

At  one  particular  time,  in  order  to  assure  myself  that  I 
was  in  mv  ricrht  senses  while  makin^  the  obseiwations  I 
have  just  given,  I  tried  to  withdraw  my  thoughts  from 
what  was  taking  place  around  me,  and  to  fix  them  upon 
something  indifferent,  and  disconnected  with  the  seance. 
I  wished  to  see  if  my  thoughts  would  obev  mv  will.'^  In 

^  During  all  this  time.  Miss  Hjelt's  face  was  but  six  fingers' 
lengths  away  from  the  medium's  knees.  — A. A. 

-  Miss  Hjelt  had  not  remarked  the  time  of  their  disappearance. 

A. A. 

^  The  writer  seems  to  have  been  on  her  guard  against  any  hyp- 
notic intluence.  — Translator. 


46       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


this  I  succeeded  perfectly.  Accordingly,  I  can  confidently 
affirm  that  the  manifestations  —  incredible  as  they  appeared 
to  my  reason  —  actually  took  place,  and  that  the  medium 
did  not  make  one  motion  to  assist  in  the  appearance  or 
disappearance  of  the  same. 

After  the  Seaftce.  I  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  the 
piece  of  material  which  was  cut  from  the  veil.  It  was  a 
texture  as  fine  as  gauze  and  put  me  in  mind  of  a  spider's 
web,  but  was  more  closely  woven  and  stronger.  It  did 
not  appear  luminous  in  the  dark. 

I  conversed  with  the  medium,  who  told  me  that  what 
had  occurred  was  an  entirely  new  experience  for  her.  It 
appears  that,  hitherto,  she  has  hardly  herself  h^Qn  able  to 
observe  or  measure  her  dematerializations.  She  had  there- 
fore been  very  much  astonished  when,  in  the  attempt  to 
rest  her  hands  upon  her  lap,  she  had  found  the  chair 
empty  under  her.  She  told  me  she  had  all  the  time  felt 
as  if  her  limbs  were  in  the  proper  place,  but  her  hands 
could  not  feel  them. 

I  have  only  to  add  that  it  was  not  the  medium  who  in- 
formed the  circle  of  the  phenomenon.  The  announcement 
was  made  by  Mr.  Selling,  w^hen  he  returned  to  his  seat. 

Accept,  etc. 

Helsingfors,  December  15th,  1S93.  Vera  Hjei.t. 


B.    Letter  from  Mons.  Aksakof  to  Miss  Hjelt. 

[Original  in  French.] 

St.  Petersburg,  December  3d-iith,^  1894. 

Perstective  Nevsky,  6. 
Madejnoiselle  :    It  is  with  sentiments  of  profound  satis- 
faction that  I  have  read  the  account  of  the  seance  of 

^  Where  double  dates  are  thus  given,  the  first  is  that  of  the  fulian 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


47 


December  nth,  1S93,  with  Madam  d'Esperance,  which  you 
have  been  so  kind  as  to  send  me  through  the  agency  of 
General  Toppelius. 

You  haye  built  a  fine  monument  to  the  honor  of  ]\Iadam 
d'Esperance,  attacked  as  it  is  by  General  Sederholm.  I 
w^as  struck  with  the  precision  and  acuteness  of  your  obser- 
vation. A  rare  thing,  this,  in  spiritualism,  even  among 
men ;  and  when  I  reflect  that  you  are  inexperienced  in 
such  matters,  I  am  the  more  surprised. 

Will  you,  then,  accept  the  assurance  of  my  lasting  grati- 
tude, and  if  I  have  delayed  its  expression  it  is  because  I 
did  not  have  your  address  and  have  just  obtained  it. 

A  single  detail  is  lacking  in  your  account,  namely,  the 
amount  of  light  in  the  room.  You  state  only  that  it  was 
lighter  than  at  the  preceding  seances,  and  that  you  plainly 
distinguished  the  medium  and  her  hands.  That  is  good, 
and  very  important ;  but  to  what  extent  could  you  so  dis- 
tinguish her  —  in  what  details?  For  instance,  could  you 
make  out  the  fingers,  the  face,  the  coiffure^  of  the  medium.^ 
And  was  not  the  degree  of  light  varied  during  the  seance.^ 

I  pass,  for  the  present,  to  some  other  particulars. 

You  say  :  "  Suddenly,  there  appeared  in  the  opening  of 
the  curtain,  a  tall,  luminous  figure  ;"  and  shortly  after- 
wards, "then  we  saw  an  arm  come  out  of  the  cabinet, 
from  very  far  up."  Am  I  to  understand  that  the  appari- 
tion (of  the  figure)  and  the  arm  appeared  in  the  middle 
opening  of  the  cabinet,  over  the.  medium  f  This  is  a  very 
important  point  and  the  information  should  be  exact. 

Who  were  the  five  persons  who  examined  the  chair 
when  the  limbs  wxre  not  there?    How  many  times  did 

calendar  or  year,  still  used  in  Russia  and  Greece,  while  the  second 
is  that  of  the  Gregorian  calendar  or  vear,  now  used  in  all  other 
Christian  countries.  — Translator. 


48       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERI ALIZATION. 


Madam  d'Esperance  ask  for  water  while  in  that  condition, 
and  who  handed  it  to  her  ? 

There  is  another  essential  point:  you  say,  "The  medi- 
um's skirts  remained  extended,  as  they  had  been  during 
the  entire  seance,  and  sloped  towards  her  feet."  What  do 
you  mean  by  "sloped"?  Further  on,  you  say,  "As  for 
the  folds  of  her  skirt,  I  saw  them,  so  to  speak, yf//  out.^^ 
Then  the  skirts  could  not  have  remained  extended,  as  they 
had  been  during  the  entire  seance,  as  you  had  said  just  be- 
fore ?    This  is  either  a  contradiction  or  a  faulty  expression. 

And  later,  you  say,  "And,  without  my  knowing  how, 
the  tips  of  her  feet  reappeared,  crossed  as  they  had  been 
before  the  commencement  of  the  seance."  ^  You  must 
refer  to  the  shoes  or  slippers.  But  might  it  not  be  argued 
that  the  medium  had  merely  drawn  them  back  under  her 
skirts  and  thrust  them  forward  a  little  later?  Why  did 
the  occurrence  seem  incomprehensible  to  you  ? 

This  is  all  that  occurs  to  me  at  the  moment. 

May  I  presume  upon  your  kindness  and  hope  that  you 
will  instruct  me  as  to  the  particulars  that  I  have  pointed  out? 

Accept,  once  more,  the  assurance  of  my  deepest  grati- 
tude and  the  expression  of  my  most  sincere  regard. 

  A.  Aksakof. 

C.    Miss  HjeWs  Reply  to  Hons.  Aksakof. 

[Original  in  Swedish.] 

Helsingfors,  January  2Sth,  1S94. 
Monsieur  le  Conseiller  d'Etat  : 

I  beg  you  to  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  your  letter.  I 
am  happy  to  know  that  my  account  of  the  seance  of 
December  nth  pleased  you. 

*  There  is  a  slight  misquotation  of  Miss  Hjelt's  words,  but  it 
proves  of  no  consequence. — Translator, 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  49 


I  will  give  you  the  further  information  desired,  at 
once. 

You  ask  me  to  define  the  amount  of  light  in  the  room 
more  exactly.  To  do  so,  I  may  state  that  I  could  see  the 
entire  form  of  the  medium  distinctly,  as  well  as  the  outline 
of  her  hands,  defined  against  her  light-colored  gown.  As 
for  the  features  of  her  face  and  her  coiffure^  it  was  difficult 
for  me  to  see  them  constantly,  as  the  medium  was  seated 
before  the  cabinet  and  the  drapery  was  very  dark.  But 
each  time  that  she  changed  her  position,  her  bust  was 
brouo:ht  somewhat  forward  and  all  the  outlines  of  her 
figure  were  clearly  shown  against  the  white  window-shut- 
ter which  I  have  already  spoken  of.  Every  time  that  she 
extended  her  arm,  I  could  see  not  onlv  the  motion  of  her 
fingers,  but  the  fingers  themselves,  crushing  the  paper 
which  she  held  in  her  hand. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  that  you  intend  to 
visit  Helsingfors.  I  hope  that  your  coming  will  be  of 
great  benefit,  for  it  will  certainly  be  easy  for  you  to  unravel 
the  confusion  of  ideas  which  this  phenomenon  of  demate- 
rialization  has  produced  in  our  minds. 

Should  you  so  desire,  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  act  the  part 
of  the  medium,  temporarily,  for  you  ;  that  is  to  say,  I  will 
sit  in  a  gown  of  the  same  shade  and  color  as  that  worn  by 
Madam  d' Esperance^  and  reproduce^  in  the  same  lights  all 
her  acts  and  gestures^  as  I  observed  them  at  the  seance 
referred  to. 

I  trust  it  will  then  be  easy  for  you  to  demonstrate  the  in- 
justice of  General  Sederholm's  suspicions. 

The  position  which  I  occupied  at  the  seance  was  such 
that  I  think  I  can  reproduce  the  occurrences  in  question,  in 
all  their  details.  I  can  also  show  you  that  my  eyesight 
and  that  of  my  companion  is  excessively  acute.    I  can  as- 


I 

\ 


50       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 

sure  you  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  medium 
to  attempt  any  imposition  without  my  discovering  it. 

You  asked  me  for  some  particulars  on  the  following 
points  : 

"  Suddenly,  a  tall,  luminous  figure  appeared  in  the  open- 
ing of  the  curtain,  etc." 

Once,  I  saw  a  bicst  in  the  middle  openiiig  of  the  cabinet. 
The  form  appeared  to  sta7id  directly  behind  the  medium's 
chair.  It  brushed  the  medium's  shoulder  with  its  luminous 
hand  and  Madam  d'Esperance  shuddered  at  the  touch. ^ 

But  the  other  luminous  form,  of  which  you  ask  a  more 
exact  description,  appeared  in  the  opening  at  the  right  of 
the  drapery.  Its  motions  seemed  very  strange  ;  at  first,  it 
seemed  to  push  aside  the  piece  of  paper  which  the  medium 
held  in  her  hand,  then  it  retreated  to  the  cabinet  and  drew 
the  curtain  behind  it ;  at  last,  and  suddenly,  it  thrust  forth 
its  arm  and  snatched  the  sheet. 

This  incident  I  can  reproduce  so  exactly  that  it  will 
inevitably  refresh  the  memories  of  the  witnesses.  The 
skeptic  must  remember  that  it  would  have  been  impossible 
for  the  medium  to  produce  these  appearances  fraudulently, 
seated  as  she  was  and  talking  with  us  all  the  time. 

The  five  persons  who  felt  of  the  chair  while  the  medium's 
limbs  were  intangible  are  Mr.  Seiling,  Capt.  Toppelius,  Dr. 
Hertzberg,  Engineer  Schoultz,  and  Mr.  Boldt. 

Madam  d'Esperance  asked  for  a  drink  at  least  twice  dur- 
ing the  manifestation.  Water  was  given  her  by  Mr.  Seil- 
ing and  Dr.  Hertzberg. 

The  expression  "Madam  d'Esperance's  skirt  sloped  to- 
wards her  feet "  struck  you  as  inexact.    I  mean  by  it  that 

^Miss  Hjelt,  afterwards,  in  reply  to  a  question,  told  me  that  she 
plainly  saw  the  fingers  of  this  hand  as  it  came  down  and  touched 
the  medium's  shoulder. — A. A. 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX . 


51 


the  skirt,  around  the  ankles,  necessarily  appeared  more 
scant,  so  to  speak,  than  it  did  higher  up.^ 

As  for  the  folds  of  her  skirt.  I  saw  them,  so  to  speak, 
fill  out."  etc. 

"You  will  readily  see  that  they  could  not  have  remained 
equally  full  all  through  the  seance;  for.  during  the  exam- 
ination into  the  phenomenon,  the  hands  of  the  witnesses 
must  have  flattened  them  out  considerably  in  feeling  of  the 
chair-seat ;  but  thereafter,  when  the  manifestation  was  over 
and  the  limbs  restored,  the  skirts  would  fill  out  again. 

'•AVithout  my  knowing  how.  the  feet  reappeared."  I 
should  have  said,  the  points  of  her  slippers. 

You  ask,  ^Slight  it  not  be  argued  that  the  medium  had 
simplv  drawn  them  back  under  her  skirts:"  Perhaps  so  ; 
but  then  there  must  have  been  some  movement  of  her  limbs 
and  I  should  have  seen  it.  because  I  fixed  my  eyes  upon  the 
place  where  the  feet  should  reappear  and  never  took  them 
off  it.  on  purpose  to  see  how  it  happened  and  whether  it 
was  accompanied' bv  anv  motion  of  the  bodv  or  not. 

I  can  also  show  you  just  how  this  occurred,  when  you 
are  here,  and  vou  can  then  judge  whv  it  seemed  incompre- 
hensible to  me.  A  little  earlier,  (that  is.  before  our  atten- 
tion was  called  to  the  dematerialization."  )  the  medium 
stretched  herself,  thrusting  out  her  feet  in  so  doing.  This, 
naturalh".  made  it  impossible  for  her  to  draw  back  her  feet 
without  some  movement  of  the  limbs.  At  least.  I  have  been 
unable  to  accomplish  it.  in  spite  of  repeated  experiments. 

^  It  is  difficult  to  convey  the  writer's  exact  meaning  by  translation, 
and  the  verbal  equivalents  would  not  do  it.  The  full  sense  is  that  the 
pressure  of  the  gentlemen's  hands,  while  the  medium's  limbs  were 
dematerialized,  flattened  the  skirt  out.    It  therefore  appeared  more 

scant*'  at  the  ankles,  than  higher  up,  where  the  body  remained 
material,  and  therefore  held  it  ••full.'" — Translator. 


52       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


I  have  done  my  best  to  answer  your  questions,  but  if  any- 
thing is  still  obscure,  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  inform  you 
further  if  you  have  the  slightest  desire  that  I  should  do  so. 

In  the  meantime  accept  my  assurances  of  the  greatest  re- 
spect and  distinguished  consideration. 

Vera  Hjelt. 

D.   Supple^nentary  Letter  from  Miss  Hjelt. 

Helsingfors,  March  35th,  1894. 
Monsieur  le  Co7iseiller  d' Etat: 

I  have  the  honor  of  submitting  what  follows,  relative  to 
the  subject  of  the  questions  which  you  have  been  kind 
enough  to  ask  me,  through  Mr.  Selling. 

First,  as  to  my  previous  attitude  towards  spiritualism  —  I 
have  known  of  the  movement  since  18S0,  without  ever  un- 
derstanding anything  about  it,  (except  in  the  last  two  years,) 
but  supposing  that  it  dealt  solely  with  the  reality  of  ghosts. 
But  for  the  past  two  years  I  have  read,  with  vivid  interest, 
books  both  in  favor  of  and  against  spiritualism,  and  have 
taken  part  in  the  seances  of  family  circles,  here,  and  in 
those  of  the  Society  for  Psychic  Research  of  Stockholm. 

I  was  therefore  perfectly  familiar  with  the  principles  of 
spiritualism  —  at  least  with  the  most  important  ones.  As 
for  the  purely  psychic  aspect  of  the  question,  I  believed  in 
the  possibility  of  the  phenomena,  though  I  was  not  con- 
vinced of  their  actual  occurrence.  But  1  acquired  that  cer- 
tainty in  the  course  of  seances  given  by  Madam  d'Esperance, 
having  frequently  had  an  opportunity  to  test  the  genuine- 
ness of  the  phenomena.  The  last  of  these  sittings  was  par- 
ticularly convincing  to  me.  That  which  I  saw  and  wit- 
nessed from  my  place  is  not,  for  me,  a  belief  :  it  is  a  fact. 
At  the  same  time,  I  have  continued  my  investigations  in 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX .  53 


spirituali>m  with  -till  greater  interest,  without  losing  anv 
of  the  faculty,  which  is  my  special  characteristic,  for  tak- 
ing a  calmlv  critical  view  of  such  manifestations. 

I  mav  be  permitted  to  pass  this  judgment  upon  mvself . 
because  the  method  by  which  a  person  is  accustomed  to 
weigh  evidence  exercises  a  certain  influence  upon  her 
judgment  and  her  power  of  observation.  And  since  vou 
have  been  so  kind  as  to  attach  some  value  to  mv  observa- 
tion during  this  seance.  I  wish  to  convince  vou  that  I  am 
not  so  credulous  as  to  permit  myself  to  be  tricked  or  im- 
posed upon. 

Second.  I  have  taken  part  in  six  seances  held  bv 
]Madam  d'Esperance.  at  Helsingfors. 

Third.  At  the  last  seance,  the  distance  between  the  me- 
dium and  myself  was  about  three  feet ;  but  when  I  leaned 
forward,  as  I  constantly  did,  the  better  to  obsenx,  the 
distance  was  hardlv  more  than  half  a  foot. 

Fourth.  I  Avas  fully  aware  of  the  importance  of  exact 
observation,  and  of  seeing  the  medium  and  the  figure,  both 
at  the  same  time  and  apart  from  each  other,  because  I  had 
discussed  that  matter  beforehand  with  persons  who  doubted 
the  honesty  of  the  medium.  I  particularly  remember  one 
conversation,  held  while  the  medium  was  visiting  St. 
Petersburg,  when  her  good  faith  and  the  possibility  of  the 
phenomena  were  daily  discussed  ;  for  this  reason,  I  made  a 
vow  that  if  another  seance  was  held  I  would  secure  a  good 
place,  close  to  the  medium,  and  watch  the  manifestations 
closely  enough  to  be  able  to  swear  to  the  accuracy  of  my 
observation.  The  two  persons  with  whom  I  made  this 
com^^act  agreed  to  be  governed  bv  mv  judsTment.  We  for- 
mally decided  that  the  investigation  should  be  left  to  me. 
I  have  not  asked  those  persons  for  permission  to  give  their 
names  in  this  letter,  but  I  do  not  doubt  thatthev  would  wish 


54       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


me  to  do  so.  They  were  Dr.  Hertzberg  and  his  wife.  I 
promised  them  not  to  allow  myself  to  be  frightened  by  the 
apparitions,  lest,  if  flurried,  I  should  forget  to  watch  the 
medium.  That  is  why  the  medium  was  the  principal  ob- 
ject of  my  attention  at  the  last  seance,  though  I  could  not 
prevent  myself  from  seeing  other  things  at  the  same  time. 

Fifth,  At  the  time  of  the  dematerialization  of  the  me- 
dium, I  was  naturally  not  in  a  position  to  give  my  atten- 
tion to  the  manner  in  which  it  happened.  But  the  medium 
made  no  sort  of  movement  with  her  feet,  either  forward 
or  sideways.  I  could  not  have  helped  noticing  it  if  she 
had  done  so,  for  I  was  but  a  few  fingers'  lengths  away, 
and  kept  my  eyes  fixedly  upon  her  feet. 

After  the  gentlemen  had  examined  the  chair  and  vouched 
for  the  dematerialization,  I  resolved  to  watch  carefully 
how  and  whence  the  feet  reappeared. 

I  should  state  that  I  also  watched  for  anything  that 
might  come  from  the  cabinet,  on  either  side  of  the  chair  on 
which  the  medium  was  seated.  I  do  not  know  why  I  said 
that  her  feet  reappeared  with  a  somewhat  violent  motion,' 
perhaps  I  referred  to  some  other  movement  of  the  medium. 
I  was  expecting  it,  and  watched  the  medium  very  narrow- 
ly and  carefully,  that  I  might  be  able  to  form  an  opinion  as 
to  how  it  occurred.  But  I  did  not  detect  any  motion  of 
the  low^er  part  of  her  body,  and  everything  happened  as  I 
have  related  it. 

Sixth,  The  medium's  garment  was  tight-fitting;  a  prin- 
cess robe,  with  a  large  Watteau  fold  down  the  back  and  a 
smaller  one  in  front,  as  you  have  doubtless  seen  them. 

^  Miss  H.  had  iiot  so  stated  in  any  of  her  former  letters.  Some 
expression  of  hers  must  have  been  mis-quoted  to  her.  I  have 
noted  one  unimportant  instance  of  this  on  a  previous  page. 

Translator. 


A   CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  55 


The  folds  are  fastened  to  an  under-waist  or  Iniing  of  shirt- 
ing. Dresses  of  this  pattern  are  often  worn  by  ladies  on 
formal  occasions.  My  dressmaker  tells  me  that  the  folds 
of  such  a  dress  will  not  fall  gracefullv  unless  it  is  made  in 
this  way  —  in  fact,  she  knows  no  other  wav  to  make  one. 
A  gown  of  this  kind  is  very  difficult  to  put  on.  It  is  not 
upon  my  own  observation  alone  that  I  depend  for  the  cor- 
rectness of  my  description  of  this  costume,  but  also  upon 
several  conversations  with  the  ladies  Toppelius.  at  whose 
house  ]Madam  d'Esperance  staved. 

In  view  of  the  suspicion  aroused  bv  General  Sederholm, 
(of  which  he  made  mention  even  before  his  newspaper 
article.)  we  examined  the  gown  and  found  that  it  differed 
in  no  way  from  what  it  siiould  be.  from  a  feminine  point 
of  view.  In  other  words,  ]\Iadam  d'Esperance's  gown 
gave  no  ground  whatever  for  suspicion,  and  was  correctly 
made. 

If  I  can  be  of  any  service  in  furnishing  further  explana- 
tions. I  shall  jdways  consider  it  a  favor  on  your  part  if  you 
will  put  your  c^uestions,  and  it  ^vill  give  me  great  pleasure 
to  answer  them  as  far  as  I  can. 

Very  trul\ 

Vera  Hjelt. 


II.   Testimony  of  Staff-Officer  Captaix  Toppelius. 

[Original  in  Russian.] 

.  .  .  After  several  persons  had  approached  ]Madam 
d'Esperance"s  chair.  I  mvself  received  permission  to  do  so. 

INIadam  d'Esperance  took  mv  hands  and  passed  them 
along  her  figure,  from  the  shoulders  downwards,  on  both 
sides  :  suddenly,  instead  of  feeling  any  continuation  of  her 


56       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


body,  I  came  to  an  empty  space. ^  Madam  d' Esperance 
passed  my  hand  along  the  seat  to  the  very  back,  and  I 
found  nothing  but  her  robe. 

The  space  between  the  medium  and  the  seat  of  the  chair 
was  very  small. 

I  remember  that,  during  all  the  time,  the  medium  was 
very  much  agitated.  I  had  not  intended  to  make  a  more 
particular  examination  and  therefore  returned  to  my  seat. 

GUSTAVE  ToPPELIUS, 

Capitaiyie  d'Etat- Major. 
Helsingfors,  3/15,  December,  1893. 


III.   Testimony  of  Prof.  Seiling. 
A.  Letter  from  Prof.  Selling'^  to  Mo?is.  Aksakof. 

[Original'in  German.] 

Sir:  Though  not  personally  acquainted  with  you,  I 
send  you  the  following  account,  because  your  friend 
Madam  d'  Esperance  has  expressed  a  desire  that  I  should 
do  so,  as  she  thought  that  its  contents  would  prove  of  great 
interest  to  you. 

The  following  manifestation,  among  others,  occurred  at 
a  spiritual  seance  held  at  my  residence  on  the  nth  of  the 
current  month,  with  Madam  d'Esperance  as  medium. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  seance,  which  had  lasted  nearly 
two  hours  and  a  half.  Madam  d'Esperance,  at  whose  left  I 
sat,  then  close  to  the  cabinet,  asked  me  to  touch  the  seat  of 

^   Je  rencontrai  un  vide.'' 

^  Professor  of  mechanical  technology  in  the  Ecole  Polytechnique 
at  Helsingfors. — A. A. 


A  CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX .  57 

her  chair,  but  guided  mv  hand  herself.  To  mv  great  as- 
tonishment, slie  passed  niy  liand  all  over  the  seat  Avithout 
my  finding  anything  of  the  lower  part  of  her  body,  while  I 
could  see  and  feel  her  dress,  spread  over  the  chair.  Re- 
turning to  mv  place,  I  saw  ]\Iadam  d'Esperance  for  a  full 
quarter  of  an  hour,  apparently  sitting  in  her  chair,  with 
the  lower  part  of  her  body  all  the  time  wanting,  so  that 
her  dress  huno-  down  at  a  risfht  ano-le  from  the  front  edo^e 
of  the  chair. 

In  order  that  another  participant  might  better  examine 
the  phenomenon,  I  changed  places  with  a  person  who  was 
nearer  the  middle  of  the  circle  than  I ;  therefore  I  could 
not  observe  the  outline  of  her  body  as  clearly  as  those  who 
were  seated  at  one  side,  among  whom  was  my  wife,  who 
informs  me  that  she  distinctly  saw  the  lower  part  of  the 
medium's  body  return  to  its  normal  conformation. 

It  seems  to  me  worthy  of  remark  that,  ivliile  in  that  con- 
dition^ Madam  d'Esperance  twice  drank  water.  The  light 
was  sufficient  to  enable  the  medium  to  be  very  plainly  seen 
from  five  seats  in  the  half -circle. 

Afterwards,  when  I  asked  Madam  d'Esperance  why  she 
had  guided  mv  hand,  she  answered  that  the  thought  alone 
of  the  chair  being  moved,  bathed  her  in  a  sweat  of  agony, 
and  that  if  such  a  thing  had  happened  she  would  certainly 
have  suffered  intense  pain. 

]My  general  report  of  all  the  seances  which  have  been 
held  at  Helsingfors  will  very  probably  be  published  in  Die 
Ubersin  n  I ich  e  W dt} 

Accept,  etc.,  .  .  . 

Max  Seilixg. 

Helsingfors,  December  4/16,  1893. 

^  It  appeared  in  the  numbers  for  January  and  February,  1894. 

A. A. 


58       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


B.  Letter  from  Mo?is.  Aksakof  to  Prof.  Selling. 

St.  Petersburg,  December  10/23,  1893. 

Dear  Sir:  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  you  for  your  let- 
ter. The  fact  is  that  the  subjective  impressions  of  Ma- 
dam d'Esperance  may  readily  differ  from  the  reality,  as  it 
exists  for  us.  This  is  why  I  have  so  impatiently  waited 
for  the  confirmatory  testimony  of  the  other  witnesses  to  the 
remarkable  phenomenon  of  the  disappearance  of  a  part  of 
the  medium's  body  at  a  seance.  For  this  phenomenon  is 
of  the  very  first  importance  to  an  understanding  of  the 
principles  of  materialization,  and  it  is  therefore  incumbent 
on  us  to  demonstrate  the  fact  with  the  greatest  possible 
plenitude  of  detail. 

As  I  am  convinced  that  you  share  my  interest  in  this 
aspect  of  the  question,  to  the  fullest  extent,  I  take  the  lib- 
erty of  addressing  you,  with  the  request  that  you  will 
kindly  reply  to  the  following  questions  : 

I  St.  In  what  kind  of  a  chair  was  Madam  d'Esperance 
seated?    Can  you  not  give  me  a  drawing  of  it? 

2nd.  Can  you  not  also  give  me  a  profile  sketch  of  the 
medium's  figure  as  it  appeared  at  the  time,  as  well  as  of 
the  position  of  her  dress  on  the  chair? 

3rd.  When  Madam  d'Esperance  called  you  and  asked 
for  your  hand,  had  she  before  that  spoken  of  the  disap- 
pearance of  her  limbs,  or  did  she  put  your  hand,  directly, 
upon  the  chair  without  saying  anything?  (I  ask  this  in 
view  of  a  possible  claim  that  it  was  a  case  of  suggested 
hallucination.) 

4th.  When  you  passed  your  hands  over  the  chair,  did 
you  plainly  see  the  upper  part  of  her  body,  the  hands  and 
the  head,  and  did  you  talk  with  her? 

5th.   You  say  :  "  She  passed  my  hand  all  over  the  chair." 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  59 


This  is  a  very  important  particular,  for  it  might  be  said 
that  Madam  d'Esperance  had  disposed  her  limbs  so  clev- 
erly that  her  skirt  would  lie  flat  on  one  side  of  the  chair, 
and  hang  verticidly.  Therefore  the  whole  question 
amounts  to  this  :  —  Did  you  feel  the  entire  seat^  even  to  the 
baek  of  the  chair^  and  did  your  hand  penetrate  beneath  the 
upper  part  of  the  medium's  body  ? 

6th.  Who  is  the  gentleman  to  whom  you  gave  your  seat 
that  he  might  look  in  his  turn  ?  Will  he  not  be  so  good  as 
to  give  me  his  evidence  in  regard  to  the  matter? 

7th.  I  beg  that  Madam  Selling,  too,  will  give  me  the 
benefit  of  her  observation,  as  to  the  disappearance  and 
re-appearance  of  the  medium's  limbs,  as  critically  as  pos- 
sible. 

8th.  Who  are  the  persons  who  twice  gave  the  medium 
water,  and  can  they  testify  to  the  absence  of  her  limbs  at 
the  time?  For  you  say  "  While  in  that  condition  she  tivice 
draiik  water."" 

9th.  And  finally,  in  view  of  the  possible  suggestion  that 
Madam  d'Esperance  had  adroitly  slipped  Ijehind  a  chair., 
covering  it  with  the  folds  of  her  skirt,  I  would  ask  : 

(ya)  Was  the  light,  during  all  the  seance,  sufficient  to  see 
that  the  medium  kept  her  seat,  or  were  there  moments 
when  it  was  more  dim  and  when  Madam  d'Esperance  could 
have  risen  from  her  seat  and  entered  the  cabinet,  without 
being  observed  ? 

{b)  Was  there  an  open  space  between  her  chair  and  the 
cabinet? 

(<:)  Did  any  one  touch  the  upper  part  of  the  medium's 
body  and  the  chair,  while  her  limbs  and  feet  were  intangi- 
ble ? 

I  beg  you  to  excuse  me  for  this  importunate  inquiry, 
but  I  have  felt  that  I  must  pursue  it,  both  in  the  interest 


60       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


of  a  cause  which  is  dear  to  me  and  for  the  personal  repu- 
tation of  Madam  d'Esperance. 

Kindly  accept,  etc.,  .  .  . 

A.  Aksakof. 


C.    Prof.  Seiling's  Reply  to  Mons.  Aksakof. 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsingfors,  January  7th,  1894. 
Monsieur  le  Conseiller  d'Etat  : 

Fully  realizing  the  importance  of  the  reasons  which 
prompted  the  circumstantial  interrogatory  to  which  you 
have  submitted  me,  I  shall,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
answer  the  questions  asked  in  your  letter  of  December 
ioth-22nd,  1893. 

§  §  I  and  3.  I  have  endeavored  to  answer  these  by  the 
enclosed  sketches.  I  attach  the  very  greatest  importance 
to  questions  of  measure.  As  you  will  observe,  the  lower 
part  of  the  back  of  the  chair  is  open.  The  upper  part  of 
the  medium's  body  was  not  always  upright,  as  it  is  drawn, 
but  was  bent  forward  from  time  to  time,  especially  during 
the  examination  of  the  back  of  the  chair  by  those  present. 
And  just  here  I  wish  to  note  the  fact  that  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  the  upper  part  of  her  body,  as  it  is 
drawn  and  as  I  carefully  observed  it,  (both  sideways  and, 
later,  from  in  front,)  to  have  occupied  the  natural  position 
of  a  seated  person,  if  the  low^er  part  of  her  body  had  been 
standing  behind,  or  at  the  side  of,  the  chair. 

§  3.  My  expectation  was  not  aroused  when  Madam 
d'Esperance  called  me  to  her  and  said,  "Mr.  Selling, 
give  me  your  hand  and  feel  of  the  chair."  It  was  not  till 
after  I  had  felt  of  it  that  I  understood  what  the  request 
referred  to.  ^ 


(61) 


62       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


§  4.  I  involuntarily  exclaimed,  "Madam  d'Esperance 
is  not  seated  in  the  chair,  but  only  her  dress  is  spread 
upon  it,"  expressly  because  I  could  feel  nothing  of  her 
body  at  that  point.  I  suppose  it  can  hardly  be  necessary 
for  me  to  state  that  I  could  distinctly  see  all  the  upper  part 
of  her  body  above  the  seat,  as  all  could  see  that  as  well  as 
I  —  at  least,  all  those  nearest  her  could.  I  talked  with 
Madam  d'Esperance,  also. 

§  5.  In  Fig.  3,  the  zigzag  line  shows  the  part  traversed 
by  my  hand  in  feeling  of  the  seat,  and  shows  how  truly  I 
can  say  that  I  felt  all  over  it  in  the  operation,  even  under 
the  trunk  of  the  medium's  body.  The  hypothesis  that  she 
had  drawn  back  her  limbs  is  absolutely  exploded. 

One  thing  struck  me  afterwards,  when  I  had  time  to 
weigh  all  the  circumstances,  and  that  is  that  while  ex- 
amining the  seat  I  seemed  to  feel  only  the  dress,  which 
was  of  fine  woollen  cloth,  without  feeling  any  gainrient 
beneath  it.  In  other  words,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  all  the 
undergarments  were  dematerialized  as  well  as  her  body. 

§  6.  The  person  was  Dr.  Hertzberg.  I  have  tried  to 
see  him  and  communicate  your  request,  but  have  not  yet 
succeeded.    He  knows  all  about  it. 

§  7.   My  wife's  account  is  enclosed  herewith. 

§  8.  Water  was  given  to  Madam  d'Esperance,  once  by 
me  and  the  other  time  by  Dr.  Hertzberg.  When  I  ap- 
proached to  give  Madam  d'Esperance  the  water,  I  had 
again  the  same  view  that  I  had  when  I  examined  her  chair 
for  the  first  time. 

§  9.  General  Sederholm  must  have  imagined  the  facts 
of  his  narrative  ;  I  say  imagined,  because,  at  that  seance, 
he  was  seated  too  far  away,  and  moreover  his  sight  is  too 
poor,  for  him  to  be  able  to  make  so  exact  an  observa- 
tion.   Miss  Hjelt  has,  in  her  account,  sufficiently  explained 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  63 


how  he  came  to  think  that  ]Madam  d'Esperance  partially 
arose. 

(^7)  The  light,  once  adjusted,  remained  the  same.  That, 
spite  of  all.  ]Madam  d'Esperance  might  have  moved,  is 
possible  ;  for  no  one  anticipated  the  occurrence  of  any  such 
phenomenon.  But,  if  she  had  once  attained  a  standing 
position  behind  the  chair,  it  would  have  been  utterly  im- 
possible for  her  to  regain  her  seat  without  being  detected. 

(3)  The  chair  was  so  close  to  the  curtains  of  the  cabi- 
net that  there  was  no  open  space  intervening,  yet  I  could 
see  that  the  chair  did  not  actually  touch  the  cabinet.  The 
principal  arguments  against  the  supposition  advanced  are 
the  natural  position  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  as  of 
one  seated,  and  the  ditHculty  of  regaining  her  seat,  as 
pointed  out  in  (^r)  above. 

(V)  As  nearly  as  I  can  learn,  Capt.  Toppelius  touched 
the  upper  part  of  the  bodv.  Xeither  Dr.  Hertzberg  nor  I 
did  so. 

AVith  every  assurance  of  my  distinguished  consideration, 
etc., 

]Max  Seilixg. 


D.   Siipplaiienta)')'  Report  of  Prof  .  Selling. 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsixgfors,  January  15th.  1S94. 

Monsieur  le  Consciller  d'Eiat  : 

I  hope  I  shall,  to  a  degree,  fulfil  your  Avishes,^  by  the 
following  complementarv  report  of  the  seance  of  the  iith— 
1 2th  of  December,  1S93.     You  will  find  in  it  the  desired 

^  I  had  written,  asking  that  he  would  send  me  more  particulars 
of  the  seance,  the  plan  of  tlie  room,  the  light,  the  position  of  the 
participants,  etc. — A. A. 


64       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


plan,  a  description  of  the  room,  the  light  and  the  cabinet, 
as  well  as  the  names  of  and  the  positions  occupied  by  the 
participants. 

EXPLANATION  OF  DIAGRAM. 

The  room  in  which  the  seance  of  December  nth  took  place 
is  in  the  second  storey.  The  entrance  to  the  dining-room, 
used  as  the  seance-room,  is  through  the  parlor.  The  two 
wings  of  the  parlor  door  were  open  during  the  seance,  but 
the  kitchen  door  was  closed  and  locked.  Only  a  feeble 
light  could  have  entered  from  the  parlor,  for  it  was  not 
illuminated  and  its  two  windows  were  almost  covered  by 
heavy  curtains.  Before  the  windows  of  the  dining-room 
were  white  tulle  window-shades  and  sliding  white  shutters. 
The  shutter  was  lowered  over  the  right  window,  that 
nearest  the  parlor,  only.  The  principal  light  came  from 
the  street,  by  the  left  window.  There  was  also  a  small  oil 
lamp,  lighted  and  placed  in  a  niche  of  the  stove  ;  the  doors 
of  this  niche  were  placed  as  shown  in  the  diagram,  the 
front  opening  was  covered  with  red  paper  and  the  top  of 
the  niche  was  covered  with  the  medium's  shawl.  I  could 
plainly  see  the  form  of  the  medium's  head  and  hands  ;  on 
the  other  hand,  I  could  hardly  see  her  coiffure^  because, 
from  where  I  sat^  the  background  was  dark. 

There  was  so  much  light  from  the  street  that  when  the 
shutters  were  raised,  without  any  lamp  burning  in  the 
room,  one  could  easily  be  recognized  at  a  distance  of  two 
metres.^ 

The  cabinet  was  not  placed  directly  against  the  wall, 
because  there  was  a  pier-glass  behind  it,  mounted  on  a 
bracket.  Nor  was  it  placed  in  the  center  of  the  space 
between  the  two  windows,  but  facing  the  three  persons 

^  A  little  more  than  two  yards.  —  Translator. 


I 


^  ^ 

Cfjs:., 


1.  Capt.  Toppelius. 

2.  ]Madam  Selling. 

3.  ]SIr.  Lonnbom. 

4.  Aliss  Hjelt. 

5-  Genl.  Galindo. 

6.  Madam  Toppelius. 

7.  Genl.  Toppelius. 

8.  Mr.  Boldt. 


9- 
10. 
II. 


iSIiss  Toppelius. 
Genl.  Sederholm. 
iSIiss  C.  Toppelius. 


12.  Dr.  Hertzberg. 


(65) 


^Iv.  Schoultz. 
Miss  Tavaststjerna. 
Prof.  Seiling. 
Madam  d'Esperance. 


66       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZATION. 


who  occupied  the  middle  of  the  circle,  as  shown  in  the 
diagram.  The  width,  depth  and  height  of  the  cabinet 
were,  respectively,  120  centimeters,  60  and  180/  There 
was  nothing  inside  it. 

Upon  a  small  table  beside  me,  were  a  carafe  of  water,  a 
candle,  (unlighted,)  paper  and  pencils. 

For  the  first  half  hour,  Capt.  Toppelius  took  his  father's 
place,  so  that  the  latter  might  examine  the  hands  extended 
from  the  cabinet. 

All  the  dimensions  of  the  room  and  furniture  are  drawn 
in  exact  proportion,  upon  the  scale  indicated. 

Report. 

The  seance  commenced  at  a  quarter  of  eight  and  ended 
about  a  quarter  after  ten  o'clock. 

A  lighted  lamp  stood  on  the  table  near  the  stove  ;  it  was 
extinguished  after  everybody,  including  the  medium,  was 
seated.  The  medium  wore  a  princess  gown  of  white 
woollen  stuff,  trimmed  with  lace  at  the  top.  Within  the 
first  quarter  of  an  hour,  the  light  was  arranged,  the  shutter 
of  the  right  window  was  drawn  down,  and  the  doors 
of  the  niche  in  the  stove  were  adjusted  as  shown  in  the 
diagram.  Two  thirds  of  the  time  which  the  seance  lasted 
was  occupied  in  singing  well-known  airs. 

About  ten  minutes  after  the  final  adjustment  of  the  light, 
the  first  manifestation  occurred  :  A  hand  was  shown  in 
the  opening  of  the  curtain,  at  the  right  side  of  the  cabinet 
and  at  the  left  of  the  medium.  This  hand  came  and  went, 
disappeared  and  returned  again  and  again.  I  took  it^  and 
so  did  both  my  nearest  7ieighbors;  it  was  of  medium  size, 
bare  and  warm,  and  was  a  right  hajid.    It  was  impossible, 

^  Something  more  than  47  inches  wide,  24  deep,  and  69  high. 

Translator. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZATIOX .  67 


therefore,  that  it  could  be  the  medium's  hand,  for  we  could 
see  her  seated  and  motionless  in  her  chair.  After  a  while, 
I  grasped  a  second  hand,  which  appeared  to  me  larger 
than  the  first ;  at  least,  it  was  warmer  and  pressed  mine 
more  cordially. 

Later,  an  entire  luminous  form  appeared  in  the  same 
opening  of  the  curtain,  but  was  not  recognized.  I  was 
permitted  to  cut  off  a  piece  of  this  spirit's  veil.  This 
incident  has  been  exactly  described  to  you  by  Miss  Hjelt. 
The  material  is  a  white  crepe,  pure  silk  and  of  extreme 
fineness,  as  I  have  proved  by  microscopic  and  chemical  ex- 
amination.    I  send  a  small  scrap  of  it.  herewith. 

Hands  had  already  appeared  at  the  other  end  of  the 
cabinet,  but  after  this  episode  of  the  veil  they  became  still 
more  numerous  and  clasped  the  hands  of  those  nearest  the 
cabinet.  Several  times,  there  were  two,  and  even  three, 
together.  — At  least,  so  I  have  been  assured,  for  I  did  not 
see  them  myself  : 

I  St.  Because  I  was  too  much  occupied  with  what  was 
happening  at  mv  side  of  the  cabinet.  I  was  constantly 
expecting  something. 

2nd.   Because  the  background  was  perfectlv  dark. 

3rd.  Perhaps,  also,  because  the  body  of  the  medium 
interposed.  For  this  reason,  I  saw  very  little  of  the  inci- 
dent of  the  paper  and  pencil,  which  Miss  Hjelt  has  de- 
scribed in  all  its  details.  I  saw  only  that  the  paper  disap- 
peared suddenly  from  the  medium's  lap  and  how,  after  a 
little,  it  was  returned  from  the  top  of  the  cabinet.  [It 
was  I  who  gave  the  paper  and  pencil  to  Madam  d'Espe- 
rance.]  On  the  other  hand.  I  lieard  the  rustling  of  the 
paper,  both  within  and  without  the  cabinet,  and  the  sound 
of  writing  that  came  from  the  cabinet.  This  "  direct  spirit 
writing"  very  greatly  resembles  the  indirect  ^w'xtiwg  obtained 


68       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZ ATION. 


when  Madam  d'Esperance  herself  held  the  pencil,  under 
other  circumstances.  I  attach  a  specimen  of  one  of  these 
indirect  writings,  certain  letters  in  which  correspond  exactly 
with  the  medium's  hand.  The  words  of  this  direct  writing  — 
"  I  will  help  you  !  "  —  refer,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  medium  ; 
but  the  paper  was  not  handed  to  her,  in  order  that  we  might 
be  the  more  fully  convinced  that  it  was  truly  dii'ed  writing. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon.  General  Toppelius  told 
Madam  d'Esperance  that  at  the  preceding  seance  two 
gentlemen,  having  accidentally  touched  her  chair,  had  found 
it  empty.  I  could  not  credit  this,  for  my  part ;  for,  sitting 
in  the  second  seat,  counting  from  the  cabinet,  I  had  Madam 
d'Esperance  constantly  in  view.  This  statement  seemed 
perfectly  incomprehensible  to  Madam  d'Esperance  and  she 
was  so  much  distressed  by  it,  that  it  argued  ill  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  last  sitting.  But  it  turned  out  far  otherwise  ; 
for  by  the  partial  dematerialization  of  the  medium,  it  was 
shown  that  the  seat  of  the  chair  might  be  empty  without 
the  medium's  having  left  it.  A  dematerialization  so  com- 
plete would  not  have  been  necessary  for  any  other  purpose 
than  that,  for  during  the  dematerialization  not  a  spirit  ap- 
peared, and  there  seemed  to  be  very  little  going  on  in  the 
cabinet.  A  considerable  time  before  the  phenomenon  of 
dematerialization,  1  saw  one  form  come  02tt  of  the  cabinet, 
at  the  other  end,  but  it  only  advanced  one  pace. 

Finally,  it  should  also  be  remarked  that,  at  the  close  of 
the  seance,  it  was  found  that  the  position  of  the  cabinet 
had  been  changed  and  that  it  had  been  moved  to  one  side, 
very  much  as  shown  in  the  diagram.  But  I  had  already 
observed  movements  of  the  cabinet,  on  other  occasions. 

Accept  the  expression  of  my  highest  consideration. 

Yours  sincerely. 

Max  Seiling. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION .  69 


E.   Lette7' from  Mons.  Aksakof  to  Prof.  Seilhig. 

[Original  in  French.] 

St.  Petersburg,  January  iith-23rd,  1S94. 

Dear  Sir :  There  is,  in  your  letter  of  January  15th,  a 
detail  of  ^■ery  great  importance. 

While  you  sat  at  the  left  of  the  medium,  a  right  hand 
was  given  you.  This  is  a  positive  statement,  but  it  is  nec- 
essary to  be  more  explicit.  How  did  you  knoiv  that  it 
was  a  right  hand  f  By  sight,  or  by  feeling,  or  by  both 
those  senses  at  once?  Was  it  a  simiple  meeting  of  the 
hands,  (as  is  ordinarilv  the  case,)  or  a  regular  clasp? — Did 
you  "  shake  hands''  as  the  English  say?  In  other  words, 
did  you  place  your  thumb  betiL'cen  the  thumb  and  the  back 
of  that  right  hand,  pressing  the  palms  together  with  the 
other  fingers,  as  is  customary?  Can  you  speak  with  abso- 
lute certainty  as  to  these  particulars  ?  For  the  evidence 
will  then  be  decisive. 

And  can  your  neighbors,  ]Miss  Tavaststjerna  and  ]Mr. 
Schoultz,  also  testify  that  it  was  indeed  a  right  hand  ? 

Then,  a  little  further  on.  you  say  I  took  a  second  hand  " 
without  stating  if  this  was  another  right  hand. 

This  is  the  first  point :  the  second  and  last  detail  which 
I  need  is  a  description  of  the  arrangement  of  the  cabinet. 
How  was  it  made?  In  the  first  number  of  the  "  Uber- 
sinnliche  Welt,"  which  I  have  just  received,  this  informa- 
tion is  wanting,  and  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  understand 
the  appearance  of  the  hands. 

I  hope  that  I  shall  soon  have  the  pleasure  of  making 
your  personal  acquaintance,  for  I  see  that  it  is  indispensa- 
ble for  me  to  visit  Helsingfors  in  order  to  definitely  elucid- 
ate the  important  phenomena  of  this  last  seance  and  the 
diverse  opinions  relative  to  it.     I  have  recently  seen  General 


70       A   CASE  OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Galindo  ;  he  says  that  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  see  noth- 
ing, although  he  sat  next  Miss  Hjelt.  Then,  it  seems  im- 
perative that  all  the  conditions  of  illumination  should  be 
reproduced,  so  that  I  can  judge  of  it  with  my  own  eyes. 
Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  give  me  an  opportunity  so  to  do, 
if  I  go  to  Helsingfors  ?  And  besides,  is  it  possible  for  us 
to  reproduce  it ;  for  instance,  if  the  light  which  came  from 
the  street,  by  the  window  with  its  shutter  up,  was  caused 
by  the  light  of  the  moon  and  not  by  unvarying  light  of  the 
street  lamps  ? 

Thanking  you  again  for  your  courtesy,  I  have  permitted 
myself  to  trouble  you  still  further,  as  you  see,  and  without 
ceremony,  leaving  the  rest  until  our  interview. 

Accept,  etc.,  A.  Aksakof. 


F.    Reply  of  Prof  .  Seiling. 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsingsfors,  January  26th,  1894. 
Monsieur  le  Co7iseiller  d' Etat  : 

I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  send  you  an  early  reply,  as  the 
opening  of  parliament  has  given  me  a  day's  liberty. 

I  still  owe  you  explanations  upon  two  points.  The  first 
refers  to  the  manner  in  which  I  took  the  hand.  Both  times, 
it  was  i?idubitably  a  right  hand — I  "  shook  hands,"  as  you 
suggest  in  your  letter  ;  and  as  this  can  only  be  done  with 
two  right  hands,  (or  two  left  hands,)  there  can  not  be  the 
slightest  question  upon  this  point.  It  is  absolute  deinon- 
stration^  as  strong  as  you  could  wish  it.  Nevertheless, 
the  manner  of  the  two  "hand-shakings"  was  ver}^  differ- 
ent.   The  first  time,  the  grasp  was  like  that  of  one  who  is 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  71 

Utterly  indifferent;  the  second  time,  it  was  emphaticallv 
cordial.  The  second  hand  was  warmer  than  the  first, 
too. 

]Miss  Tavaststjerna,  on  whom  I  called  today,  felt  exactly 
the  same  thing  and  is  ready  to  swear  that  it  was  a  right 
hand. 

^Ir.  Schoultz.  whom  I  have  also  seen,  is  not  so  positive 
about  his  experience,  as  only  the  tips  of  his  fingers  were 
pressed  by  the  spirit's  hand.  For  that  matter,  he  did  not 
exchange  any  real  "  hand-shake  "  and  touched  none  but  the 
first  hand. 

The  other  point  refers  to  the  cabinet.  This  was  impro- 
vised with  a  folding  screen  of  iour plaques^  so  disposed  that 
it  was  twice  as  wide  as  it  was  deep.  To  give  it  rigidity, 
we  attached  it  with  cords  to  a  broomstick,  in  front  and  at 
the  top.  A  woollen  cover  was  thrown  over  the  whole,  and 
ta^'o  shawls  closed  the  opening  in  front.  There  was,  there- 
fore, one  entrance  in  the  center  and  one  at  each  side.  It 
was  this  side  entrance  that  I  called  "the  opening  in  the 
curtain";  it  was  thej'e  that  the  hands  appeared  and  they 
were  quite  high,  as  if  those  of  a  standing  person.  In  the 
center,  the  two  shawls  lapped  a  little  over  each  other  — 
nearly  fifteen  centimetres.^ 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  reproduce  the  exact  amount  of  light 
that  was  in  the  room  when  the  seance  took  place.  It  is 
true  that  there  is  now  no  snow,  whereas  there  was  a  great 
deal  at  the  time,  but  \ve  trust  more  will  fall  before  your 
arrival.  There  was  no  moonlight,  the  moon  beins:  new. 
This  must  be  taken  into  consideration  at  the  time  of  your 
visit,  for  the  room  faces  towards  the  south. 

You  will  meet  all  the  persons  present  at  the  seance,  ex- 

^  About  six  inches.  — Translator. 


72       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


cept,  perhaps,  General  Toppelius  ;  but  he  was  in  a  very 
disadvantageous  seat. 

Accept  the  assurance  of  my  highest  consideration. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Max  Seiling. 


IV.    Testimony  of  Madam  Helene  Seiling. 

[Original  in  German.] 

A.  Note  from  Madam  Seiling. 

At  the  seance  w^hich  w^as  held  in  our  house  on  December 
iith,  1S93,  could  not,  for  want  of  space,  obtain  a  seat  in 
the  circle,  properly  so  called,  and  therefore  took  a  seat 
behind  the  first  and  second  chairs  at  the  right  of  the  me- 
dium. As  I  was  not  at  all  prepared  for  the  partial  dema- 
terialization  of  the  medium,  I  did  not  observe  the  disap- 
pearance of  her  limbs.  I  only  saw  that  she  remained 
seated  in  her  chair,  all  the  time.  But  my  attention  being 
attracted  to  the  matter,  by  my  husband's  exclamation  when 
he  examined  the  chair,  I  watched  from  that  moment  with 
the  most  rigorous  attention  and  can  testify  that,  for  at  least 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  her  limbs  ; 
that  her  dress  looked  as  if  it  rested  directly  against  the 
chair,  and  that  it  fell  to  the  floor  at  a  right  angle. 

Confining  my  attention  strictly  to  the  ulterior  develop- 
ments of  this  remarkable  phenomenon,  I  saw"  the  dress  fill 
out,  (so  to  speak,)  little  by  little,  and  the  outlines  became 
more  and  more  full,  until  her  entire  body  had  returned  to 
its  natural  state.  During  all  this  time  I  could  see  the  upper 
part  of  her  form,  which  appeared  as  if  she  was  seated,  and 
from  time  to  time  she  bent  forward,  away  from  the  back 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  73 


of  the  chair.  I  saw  her  take  the  glass  and  drink,  and  heard 
her  speak. 

Helene  Seiling. 


B.  Re7narks  by  Mojis,  Aksakof. 

At  my  request,  as  there  was  an  apparent  con- 
tradiction between  the  narratives  of  Miss  Hjelt 
and  Madam  Seiling,  Prof.  Seiling  gave  me  the 
following  explanation: 

In  order  to  explain  the  apparent  contradiction  between 
the  accounts  of  Miss  Hjelt  and  my  wife,  I  called  upon  the 
former  this  morning.  By  comparing  notes,  we  found  that 
Miss  Hjelt's  testimony  referred  to  the  commencement  of 
the  phenomenon,  while  my  wife's,  (like  my  own,)  refers 
to  what  occurred  after  I  had  examined  the  chair,  in  which 
process  I  had  flattened  out  the  medium's  dress.  The  con- 
tour of  the  skirt  had  not  been  altered  in  the  handling  of 
the  seat,  at  the  time  mentioned  by  Miss  Hjelt,  but  hung 
full  until  after  my  first  examination. 


V.  Testimony  of  Miss  Fanny  Tavaststjerna. 

[Original  in  French.] 

A.  Letter  from  Miss  Tavaststjerna  to  Mons,  Aksakof. 

Helsingfors,  April  14th,  1S94. 

Monsieur  le  Coyiseiller  d'Etat  : 

At  length  I  can  send  you  the  testimony  which  vou  have 
so  much  desired,    I  greatly  regret  the  long  delay.    I  am 


74       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


sure  that  you  will  excuse  me  when  I  state  that  it  was  due 
to  my  repeated  illnesses  since  your  departure. 

I  pass,  then,  to  the  seance.  For  the  external  arrange- 
ments, I  beg  leave  to  refer  you  to  the  detailed  description 
furnished  by  Miss  Hjelt.  Personally,  I  should  state  that 
at  the  last  seance  which  Madam  d'Esperance  gave  us  at 
Helsingfors  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  occupy  one  of  the 
very  best  places  for  ivatchijig  the  medium.  I  had  the  sec- 
ond seat  at  her  left,  and  the  circle  being  very  narrow,  my 
knees  were  hardly  thirty  centimetres  ^  from  those  of  the 
medium.  Thanks  to  this  proximity  and  to  the  light,  which 
was  very  good,  (my  neighbor  on  the  right  could  read  the 
time  from  his  watch,)  I  could  follow  every  movement  of 
the  medium.  Furthermore,  I  did  not  lose  sight  of  her  for 
an  instant,  and  I  declare  that  it  would  have  been  impossi- 
ble for  her  to  have  risen  from  her  seat  w^ithout  my  remark- 
ing it.  I  should  state  that  I  am  not  one  of  the  credulous, 
but  am,  on  the  contrary,  very  critical. 

With  these  few  general  observations,  I  pass  to  such 
manifestations  as  I  plainly  saw  and  felt,  during  the  last 
seance. 

We  had  not  been  long  seated  before  a  hand  appeared 
in  the  opening  of  the  cabinet,  on  the  side  nearest  me. 
My  neighbor  on  the  right,  (Prof.  Selling,  who  occupied 
the  first  seat  to  the  left  of  the  medium,)  shook  the  hand, 
which  instantly  disappeared  behind  the  drapery ;  he  then 
said,  "  There  is  a  lady  here  who  greatly  desires  to  shake 
hands  with  you,"  when  the  hand  reappeared.  My  neigh- 
bor quickly  caught  my  hand  and  placed  it  in  that  which 
came  from  the  cabinet.  It  was  cool  and  moist,  but  pressed 
my  hand  kindly. 

^  About  one  foot.  —  Translator. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  75 

A  little  later,  the  curtains  on  our  side  again  opened  and 
I  saw  a  tall,  luminous  figure  standing  motionless  in  the 
aperture.  I  offered  my  hand  and  it  was  clasped  in  a  hand 
much  larger  than  the  one  I  had  shaken  before.  The  fin- 
gers seemed  a  little  attenuated,  something  like  those  of  a 
very  aged  person  ;  but  when  they  grasped  mine,  their  pres- 
sure was  very  firm  and  as  cordial  as  any  that  I  have  ever 
felt. 

During  all  this  time,  I  saw  the  medium  quietly  seated  in 
her  chair,  within  a  foot  of  my  own.  I  should  also  state 
that  both  the  hands  that  I  had  clasped^  besides  being  on  the 
left  of  the  medium  and  quite  high  up  between  the  curtains, 
were  right  hands.  This  absolutely  proves  that  neither  was 
the  medium's  hand. 

Mr.  Sailing,  the  first  person  to  the  left  of  the  cabinet, 
had  a  pair  of  scissors  and  asked  the  spirit  if  it  would  give 
him  a  piece  of  its  veil.  The  form  took  the  scissors  and 
retired  into  the  cabinet,  whence  I  heard  a  slight  noise,  as 
if  a  person  were  cutting  something.  In  a  little  while,  it 
came  back  and  returned  the  scissors  to  Prof.  Selling.  The 
latter  was  not  satisfied,  as  he  had  not  obtained  what  he 
wanted,  and  said  to  the  spirit,  '-But  you  have  not  given 
me  a  piece  of  your  veil."  The  form  then  lifted  a  corner 
of  the  veil  and  held  it  towards  Prof.  Selling,  who  cut  off 
a  piece.  After  the  seance,  the  material,  which  vras  exceed- 
ingly fine  and  beautiful,  excited  the  admiration  of  all. 

There  were  several  materializations  at  the  other  side  of 
the  cabinet ;  but  not  having  seen  them  distinctlv.  I  am  not 
qualified  to  speak  of  them.  I  therefore  pass  to  the  dema- 
terialization  ;  and  I  here  repeat  that,  from  where  I  sat,  I 
could  plainly  see  all  that  the  medium  did. 

I  was  intently  watching  the  medium,  when  I  heard  her 
sigh  profoundly  and  repeatedly,  as  if  she  was  greatly  dis' 


76       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


turbed.  Then  I  saw  her  raise  both  her  hands,  or  wave 
them,  several  times,  and  I  must  confess  that  this  aroused 
my  suspicions.  "We  shall  see,"  thought  I,  to  myself; 
"perhaps  she  intends  to  out-do  herself,  or  to  palm  off 
some  deception  upon  us."  In  order  to  see  better,  I  leaned 
forward  and  watched  her  thus,  at  close  quarters.  At  this 
instant  I  heard  her  say  to  Prof.  Selling,  "  Come  and  feel 
of  my  chair."  He  arose  and  I  saw  the  medium  take  both 
his  hands.  Immediately  afterwards  he  exclaimed,  "  This 
is  marvellous !  I  see  Madam  d'Esperance ;  I  hear  her 
speak  ;  but  there  is  nothing  but  her  dress  upon  the  chair." 
After  an  interval  of  a  few  moments,  Madam  d'Esperance 
permitted  four  other  gentlemen  to  feel  the  chair.  During 
the  entire  time,  she  appeared  to  suffer  acutely.  She  sighed, 
and  twice  at  least  she  asked  nervously  for  a  drink.  I  saw 
her  take  the  glass  of  water,  heard  her  swallow,  and  saw 
her  return  the  glass.  I  saw  that  while  the  upper  part  of 
her  body  retained  its  ordinary  outline,  the  lower  part  did 
not. 

The  medium  being  seated,  with  her  limbs  extended  a 
little  ways  in  front  of  her,  I  could  see  the  contour  of  her 
limbs  and  knees  distinctly,  during  the  early  part  of  the 
seance  ;  but  now,  the  skirt  fell  straight  down  in  front  of 
the  chair,  as  if  there  was  nothing  inside  it.  This  state 
of  affairs  lasted  about  five  minutes,  after  which  I  suddenly 
noticed  that  the  skirt  was  filled  out  again,  though  I  can  not 
say  how  the  change  took  place,  and  I  heard  the  medium 
exclaim,  "  Now  I  feel  better;"  and,  later,  I  heard  her  say, 
"  See,  my  limbs  have  been  restored." 

Among  the  persons  present  at  the  seance  but  who 
were  seated  further  from  the  cabinet,  some  claimed  that, 
to  produce  this  last  marvel,  the  medium  slipped  behind  the 
chair,  or  drew  her  limbs  to  its  sides.    But  I  can  attest  that 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  77 


it  was  impossible  for  her  to  have  accomplished  either  one 
or  the  other  manceuvre  ;  because,  as  I  have  alread}^  said,  the 
circle  was  so  narrow  that,  in  examining  the  cliair,  the 
gentlemen  would  have  tripped  over  the  medium's  limbs  if 
she  had  placed  them  at  the  sides.  On  the  other  hand,  as 
the  light  w^as  very  good  and  as  I  was  seated  close  to  the 
medium,  who  wore  a  dress  that  was  almost  white.  I  should 
have  seen  it  if  she  had  risen  or  had  changed  her  place. 
If  any  assert  that  I  was  hypnotized,  I  reply  that,  if  such 
was  the  case,  not  the  slightest  suspicion  of  it  occurred  to 
my  mind  during  the  seance. 

Accept  the  assurance  of  my  highest  consideration. 

Faxxy  Tavaststjerxa. 


B.   Supplement  to  the  Foregoing  Letter. 

In  reply  to  a  question  of  mine  as  to  her  previ- 
ous acquaintance  with  spiritualism,  Miss  Tavast- 
stjerna  writes  me  as  follows : 

Helsixgfors,  April  20th. 

Monsieur :  I  have  very  little  to  say  in  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion you  ask  me.  I  knew  almost  nothing  of  spiritualism, 
previous  to  the  seances  given  by  ]\Iadam  d'Esperance.  I 
had  read  very  little,  or  almost  nothing,  of  it,  for  I  did  not 
then  know  that  spiritualism  had  a  literature  as  complete  as 
it  is  interesting.  Such  information  as  I  possessed  on  the 
subject  was  given  me  by  my  sister,  who  is  a  member  of  the 
"  Society  for  Psychical  Research,"  of  Stockholm,  and  by 
Miss  Hjelt,  who  has  attended  meetings  of  that  society  for 
the  past  year.    The  subject  interested  me  deeply  and  I  had 


78       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERI ALIZATION. 


an  eager  desire  to  learn  more  of  it,  and  for  this  reason  I 
was  very  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  be  present  at  the 
seances  given  by  Madam  d'Esperance. 

Accept,  etc.,  Fanny  Tavaststjerna. 


VI.  Testimony  of  General  Toppelius,' 

[Original  in  Russian.] 

When  Madam  d'Esperance  returned  from  Petersburg, 
she  stopped  at  my  house,  as  formerly.  When  the  question 
of  another  seance  was  discussed,  I  told  her  that  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  have  more  light ;  because  after  one 
of  the  seances  that  she  had  held  here,  before  her  departure 
for  Petersburg,  some  persons  suspected  that  she  had  risen 
from  her  seat,  leaving  only  her  dress  on  the  chair,  etc.  I 
communicated  this  frankly  to  Madam  d'Esperance ;  the 
suspicion  wounded  her  deeply,  but  she  did  not  object  to 
my  proposal. 

The  seance  took  place  that  same  evening,  December  nth, 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Selling,  by  the  light  of  a  small  lamp, 
which,  though  covered,  enabled  us  to  distinguish  the  out- 
lines of  the  spectators  and  the  medium.  As  I  was  seated 
at  the  extremity  of  the  circle,  I  could  not  see  distinctly 
enough  to  testify  positively  as  to  all  the  extraordinary  mani- 
festations which  occurred  at  that  seance. 

I  have  heard  the  others  speak,  in  proportion  to  their 
opportunities  for  exact  observation  ;  and  from  all  the  im- 
pressions that  I  have  gathered,  I  consider  that  the  account 
given  by  Miss  Hjelt  is  in  strict  accordance  with  the  truth. 

^  At  the  date  of  my  visit  to  Helsingfors,  both  the  wife  and  daughter 
of  General  Toppelius  were  absent ;  but  the  General  told  me  that 
thej  could  testify  to  nothing  positively,  as  thev  were  far  from  the 
medium  :  consequently,  his  testimony  must  count  for  theirs.  — A. A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZ ATION.  79 


The  sole  detail  lacking,  in  my  opinion,  is  that,  at  the  close 
of  the  seance,  Madam  d'Esperance  was  in  a  state  of  weak- 
ness and  nervous  depression  such  as  I  have  never  seen 
equalled.  Her  face  and  figure  both  manifested  complete 
exhaustion,  and  the  suffering  visible  in  her  features  excited 
the  most  profound  compassion.  vShe  seemed  completely 
prostrated  ;  and  I  think  if  she  iiad  been  placed  upon  scales, 
her  weight  would  have  shown  a  loss  of  ten  kilogrammes,^ 
at  least. 

The  next  morning,  my  daughter  informed  me  that,  on 
our  return  from  the  seance,  ]Madam  d'Esperance  was  so 
faint  that  she  had  gone  directly  to  bed  and  that,  in  the 
morning,  she  was  still  too  weak  to  attend  to  the  packing 
of  her  baggage.  As  she  had  to  set  out  that  ver}'  day,  my 
daughter  collected  and  packed  her  dresses  and  all  her  other 
belongings,  and  profited  by  the  opportunity  thus  afforded, 
to  examine  them  very  carefully.  But  she  found  absolutely 
nothing  suspicious  —  not  a  sign  of  a  veil,  masks,  or  gutta- 
percha hands,  as  some  had  been  pleased  to  suspect. 

Accept,  etc.  G.  Toppelius. 

Helsingfors,  December  5th,  1S93. 


VII.    Testimony  of  Dr.  Raphael  Hertzberg.^ 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsingfors,  April  iSth,  1S94. 
Monsieur  le  Conseiller  d'Etat: 

In  reply  to  your  letter.  I  have  the  honor  of  communi- 
cating what  follows,  relative  to  the  "  dematerialization  ■ 

'  About  twenty-two  pounds.  —  Translator. 

^Doctor  of  Philosophy  and  President  of  the  "Men  of  Letters" 
Club,  at  Helsingfors.  — A. A. 


80       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZATION. 


which  occurred  at  one  of  the  seances  given  by  Madam 
d'Esperance.  Before  Madam  d'Esperance  called  our  atten- 
tion to  the  "  dematerialization,"  my  next  neighbor  and  I 
saw  her  skirts  swell  out  considerably,  as  it  seemed  to  us. 
Miss  Hjelt  has  told  me  that  what  appeared  to  me  to  be  an 
enlargement  of  the  medium's  dress,  was  really  a  slight 
materialization,  independent  of  the  medium  and  floating, 
for  an  instant,  in  front  of  her  like  a  cloud  ;  that  not  only 
did  she  touch  it  and  find  that  lier  hand  seemed  to  be  covered 
as  if  with  a  veil,  but  that  she  drew  her  neighbor  towards  it 
and  made  him  feel  of  the  nebulous  shape,  which  thereupon 
passed  away. 

The  ' '  dematerialization  "  followed  immediately.  Madam 
d'Esperance  called  me  to  her,  took  my  hands,  and  passed 
them  all  over  the  cushion  of  the  chair, ^  which  I  patted  and 
on  which  I  found  nothing  but  her  dress  spread  out.  I  dis- 
tinctly saw  the  upper  part  of  her  body,  as  well  as  her  hands  ; 
but  I  was  not  thinking  of  the  apparition  and  did  not  com- 
pare the  proportions  of  the  upper  part  of  her  body  with  hei 
surroundings.^  I  was  cut  short  by  the  importunate  ap- 
proach of  another  impatient  spectator,  and  returned  to  my 
place. 

A  few  moments  later,  at  the  request  of  Madam  d'Espe- 

^  When  I  met  Dr.  Hertzberg  at  Helsingfors,  I  expressed  the  great 
interest  I  felt  in  knowing  exactly  how  he  had  examined  the  chair. 
He  went  to  a  chair,  passed  both  his  hands  all  over  the  seat  and  as 
far  as  the  back.  "  How!  "  I  exclaimed,  "  even  to  the  back  of  the 
chair !  "  "  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  even  to  the  back,  as  I  have  just  shown 
you."  —  A. A. 

^  This  is  somewhat  obscure,  but  seems  to  mean  that  he  did  not 
look  to  see  if  the  upper  part  of  her  body  appeared  smaller  than 
usual  in  anyway;  as  it  possibly  might  in  case  iho.  complete  local 
dematerialization  was  accompanied  by  a  greater  or  less  degree  of 
general  dematerialization.  — Translator. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  81 


ranee.  I  took  a  seat  close  beside  her.  I  saw  the  upper  part 
of  her  body  and  her  arms  very  phiinlv.  as  she  leaned  her 
left  hand  on  the  cushion  of  die  chair.  She  asked  for  a 
glass  of  water  and  I  gave  her  one.  She  seemed  to  lean 
heavilv  upon  her  hand,  for  the  arm  trembled  as  if  widi  the 
effort.  An  instant  later,  she  suddenly  seized  my  hand  with 
both  hers.  I  had  rested  this  hand  upon  the  cushion  of  the 
chair,  and  I  now  felt  the  cushion  moved  as  when  one  sits 
down  heavily.  Very  soon  afterwards,  she  told  me  to  feel 
of  the  chair,  and  I  found  that  her  limbs  were  restored. 

Being  very  ill-informed  as  to  spiritualistic  phenomena.  I 
was  a  mere  spectator,  and  entirely  passive.  I  did  not  ex- 
amine closely  into  the  occurrences  of  this  particular  seance, 
and  therefore  can  not  speak  of  them  more  positively. 

The  attempted  explanations  of  the  manifestations  which 
Mr.  Lonnbom  has  offered,  are  ridiculously  childish.  He  sup- 
poses that  ^ladam  d'Esperance  employed  dolls  and  gutta- 
percha hands,  yet  declares  that  he  saw  nothing  suspicious 
and  that  he  could  take  his  oath  to  that  effect. 

BeofcrinsT  vou  to  excuse  me  for  this  tardv  response  to  vour 
esteemed  favor,  as  well  as  for  my  imperfect  knowledge  of 
the  German  language.  I  am.  with  highest  consideration,  etc., 

Raphael  Hertzberg. 

P.S.  Madam  d'Esperance  says  that  she  did  not  so  seize 
any  hand,  at  any  time  ;  but  she  supposes  that  mine  rested 
on  the  cushion,  close  to  hers,  all  the  time.  After  she  took 
mv  hand,  (as  it  seemed  to  me.)  without  lifting  it  from  the 
cushion,  she  held  it  a  moment,  pressing  it  nervously,  as  if 
she  were  in  pain.' 

.  ^  L'pon  this  point,  see  the  testimony  of  Madam  d'Esperance. 

A.A. 

This  whole  postscript  is  very  obscure  and  indefinite*,  and  I  have 


82       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


VIII.   Testimony  of  Mr.  Schoultz,  Civil  Engineer. 
A.  Letter  from  Mr.  Schoultz  to  Mons.  Aksakof. 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsingfors,  April  20th,  1S94. 
In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  send  you  the  follow- 
ing report  of  observations  which  I  made  at  a  spiritualistic 
seance,  given  by  Madam  d'Esperance,  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Selling. 

After  a  small  lamp,  wrapped  in  red  paper,  had  been 
placed  in  the  niche  of  the  stove,  the  room  was  so  dark  that 
I  could  not  distinguish  persons  sitting  opposite  me,  at  a 
distance  of  from  four  to  six  feet ;  but  I  could  see  the 
medium,  who  was  dressed  in  a  white  muslin  gown,  very 
much  like  a  loose  lounging  wrapper,  with  a  Watteau  fold 
down  the  back.  The  light  was  so  dim  that,  though  sitting 
in  the  third  seat  at  the  left  of  the  medium,  I  could  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  make  out  her  feet,  which  were  ex- 
tended in  front  of  her,  and  her  arms,  which  from  time  to 
time  she  crossed  above  her  head. 

After  the  participants  had  made  a  chain  and  sung  for  a 
few  moments,  I  saw  something  white  and  faintly  luminous, 
at  the  left  side  of  the  medium.  They  said  that  it  was  a 
hand,  and  some  persons  offered  to  take  it.  I  extended  my 
right  hand,  also,  behind  the  curtain,  [A^?.  i.]  *  and  it  was 

had  to  do  the  best  I  could  with  it.  It  seems  to  mean  that,  while  Dr. 
Hertzberg  felt  all  that  he  describes,  the  medium  was  unconscious  of 
playing  any  part  in  what  he  felt.  It  recalls  the  experience  of  the 
author's  with  Yolande,  related  in  the  first  chapter,  when  his  hand 
was  thrust  aside  by  another  hand,  which  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  either  that  of  Yolande  or  that  of  the  medium,  but  of  one  of 
those  "  on  guard."  —  Translator. 

^  Figures  in  brackets  refer  to  explanations  in  the  two  letters  fol- 
lowing. —  A.  A. 


A  CASE   or   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  83 


quickly  taken  and  warmly  pressed,  three  times,  by  a  woman's 
hand  which  was  very  soft  and  warm.  After  that,  large  and 
small  shapes  in  white  and  luminous  matter,  were  repeat- 
edly shown  from  the  cabinet,  both  to  the  right  and  to  the 
left  of  the  medium  ;  but  the  matter  did  not  assume  human 
form.  Once,  it  resembled  a  hand,  wrapped  in  shining 
gauze,  and  seemed  to  wear  a  bracelet  in  the  form  of  a 
narrow  band.  Signs  were  made  by  the  hand.  It  appeared 
on  the  medium's  right. 

During  the  seance,  the  medium  asked  for  a  drink  of 
water  and  Prof.  Seiling,  who  had  the  first  seat  at  her  left, 
immediately  handed  her  some.  She  took  the  glass  and 
Mr.  Seiling  returned  to  his  place  ;  but  an  instant  later,  the 
medium  asked,  "  When  can  I  have  the  water  "  "  But  I 
gave  it  to  you  a  moment  ago,"  replied  Mr.  Seiling.  [_JVo.  2.] 
"  I  did  not  receive  it."  General  astonishment.  After  a 
little  while,  the  m.edium  said,  "Now,  someone  hands  me 
the  glass  from  the  cabinet ;  see  !  "  I  could  not  see  how 
this  occurred,  on  account  of  the  dimness  of  the  light. 

Before  speaking  of  what  happened  later,  I  should  refer 
to  a  matter  which  attracted  my  attention  and  caused  me  to 
watch  more  closely.  I  observed  l^JVo.  3.]  that  the  medium 
often  passed  her  arms  inside  the  curtain,  in  such  a  way 
that  the  dark  drapery  showed  a  pronounced  line  against 
her  white  garments,  which  was  not  the  case  when  she  held 
her  arms  in  front  of  it.  Furthermore,  1  should  have  stated 
that  at  such  times  her  arm  and  shoulder  looked  as  if  an 
arm  was  extended  out  of  the  cabinet.  I  saw  this  at  the 
same  time  that  the  shapes  of  luminous  matter  appeared  at 
the  right  and  left  of  the  medium. 

Demate7'ialization  of  the  Limbs.  At  the  beginning,  the 
medium  sat  with  her  limbs  extended  ;  but  she  drew  them 
back,  little  by  little.    \_No.  4.]    I  then  saw  her  slowly  raise 


84       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 

herself ;  her  skirts  filled  out,  and  the  medium,  letting 
herself  down,  appeared  again  of  her  usual  height.  While 
these  movements  \_No.  5.]  were  taking  place,  she  was  not 
visible  to  the  persons  facing  me,  for  I  heard  them  say  that 
they  did  not  see  the  medium.  —  The  reason  probably  is  that 
one  half  of  the  curtain  partially  concealed  her  from  those 
on  the  side  opposite  mine.  She  sighed  profoundly  several 
times  while  this  was  taking  place  and  Mr.  Selling  re- 
marked that  she  must  be  suffering.  Suddenly,  she  cried, 
\_No.  6.]  "Now,  my  limbs  are  gone;  come  and  see!" 
I  think  I  was  the  second  person  that  approached  and  ex- 
amined the  medium.  She  took  both  my  hands  in  hers, 
placed  them  one  above  the  other,  and  pressed  them  several 
times  against  the  cushion  of  the  chair,  asking  me  what  I 
felt.  "  Only  a  dress,  upon  the  seat,"  I  replied.  After 
that,  she  pushed  me  aside,  without  allowing  the  least 
investigation,  and  someone  else  took  my  place.  A  moment 
later,  I  saw  the  medium  move  softly,  although  I  can  not 
affirm  that  she  arose  ;  but  I  observed  that  she  did  something 
with  her  hands  around  her  waist,  as  though  she  was 
arranging  some  part  of  her  dress.  After  this,  she  said, 
"  I  have  my  limbs,  again,"  and  thereupon  the  seance  ended. 

During  the  dematerialization  of  the  medium,  there  were 
no  materializations  or  spirit-forms. 

Thus  ended  this  seance  which,  unhappily,  proved  so  un- 
equal to  my  expectation. 

Ivan  Schoultz. 

After  receiving  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Schoultz, 
Vk^hich  seemed  in  conflict  with  the  accounts  of 
the  other  witnesses,  I  sent  it  to  Prof.  Selling, 
Dr.  Hertzberg,  Miss  Hjelt  and  Tavaststjerna, 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  85 


with  the  request  that  they  would  send  me  any 
remarks  which  they  cared  to  make.  They  sent 
me  the  following  letters: 

B.    Counter -Testimo7iy  of  Prof.  Seiling. 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsingfors,  April  22nd,  1894. 
Mo7isieur  le  Co7iseiller  d'Etat  : 

I  do  not  attach  any  great  weight  to  a  narrative  written 
so  long  after  the  event.  For  instance,  that  which  Mr. 
Schoultz  relates  concerning  the  disappearance  of  a  glass  of 
water,  etc.,  occurred  at  a  preceding  seance.  Further  on, 
he  states  that  Madam  d'Esperance  told  the  audience  of  the 
disappearance  of  her  limbs.  This  is  absolutely  false.  It 
was  I  who  announced  it  to  the  witnesses,  after  I  had  ex- 
amined the  chair.  Miss  Hjelt  so  stated,  in  a  report  written 
within  a  few  days  of  the  seance. 

Mr.  Schoultz  claims  that  he  recognized  a  left  hand,  after 
he  had  explained  to  me  that  he  could  not  tell  whether  it 
was  a  right  hand  or  a  left  one,  because  only  the  tips  of  his 
fingers  were  taken.  If  I  rightly  remember,  Mr.  Schoultz 
declared  in  your  presence,  the  evening  that  we  were  to- 
gether at  my  house,  that  he  did  not  observe  whether  his 
hand  was  taken  by  a  right  hand  or  a  left  hand.^ 

Sitting  beside  Madam  d'Esperance,  as  I  did,  the  move- 
ments related,  \^Nos.  3  arid 4]  could  not  have  escaped  me  — 
especially  the  fact  of  her  rising.  \^No.  6.]  I  heard  Capt. 
Toppelius  alone  say  that  he  did  not  see  the  medium,  and 
that  was  during  the  dematerialization,  and  not  before  it. 

With  my  best  wishes,  etc., 

M.  Seiling. 

remember  this,  also. — A. A. 


86       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


C.    Cou7iter  -  Testimony  of  Dr.  Heidzberg . 

Helsingfors,  April  28th,  1894. 

Monsieur  le  Co7iseiller  d'Etat  : 

Miss  Hjelt  has  sent  me  Mr.  Schoultz's  letter,  with  a  re- 
quest that  I  should  give  my  opinion  upon  certain  points  ; 
which  I  willingly  do. 

[^No.  2.]  The  incident  of  the  glass  of  water  took  place 
at  a  previous  seance,  and  occurred  exactly  as  follows  : 

Prof.  Seiling  gave  the  glass  to  the  medium,  who  said, 
almost  at  the  same  time,  "  Why  do  you  not  give  me  some 
water?"  —  "But  I  just  handed  you  some,"  replied  Mr. 
Seiling.  "No,  I  have  not  received  the  glass,"  said  she. 
"That  is  very  extraordinary,  for  the  glass  was  certainly 
taken  from  my  hand,"  responded  Mr.  Seiling  in  surprise, 
addressing  his  remark  to  the  members  of  the  circle.  "  Ah  ! 
now  I  have  the  glass,"  cried  Madam  d'Esperance,  who  in 
fact  now  held  the  glass  of  water  in  her  right  hand. 

Having  the  first  seat  at  the  left  of  the  medium,  I  had 
seen  Mr.  Seiling  bring  the  glass  ;  then  I  did  not  see  it, 
either  in  his  hand  or  the  medium's  ;  and  afterwards,  I  saw 
it  in  her  hand.  But  I  can  say  neither  how  it  disappeared 
nor  how  it  reappeared.  During  the  entire  incident,  Mr. 
Seiling  stood  immediately  in  front  of  the  medium. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  dematerialization,  after  I  had 
changed  places  wdth  Mr.  Seiling,  I  heard  Capt.  Toppelius, 
who  sat  first  at  the  medium's  right,  say  that  he  could  not  see 
her,  \_No.  5.]  and  I  told  him  that  we  saw  her  very  plainly. 

During  the  w4iole  time  that  I  occupied  Prof.  Selling's 
place,  Madam  d'Esperance  leaned  her  right  hand  upon  the 
cushion  of  the  seat.  It  is  therefore  most  unlikely  that  she 
made  motions  with  both  her  hands  around  her  waist.  Mr. 
Schoultz  perhaps  misunderstood  the  movement,  (the  only 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DE:MATERI ALIZATIOX. 


87 


one  she  made.)  to  cover  my  hand,  which  I  had  pkiced 
against  the  chair,  with  both  of  hers. 

Accept,  etc. 

Raphael  Hertzberg. 

P.S.  I  may  further  add  that,  during  the  dematerializa- 
tion.  Madam  d'Esperance  did  not  stand  behind  her  chair, 
as  General  Sederhohn  claims. 


D.     Counter-  Testini ony  of  M iss  Hjel t  and  M iss 
Tavaststjejnia. 

[Original  in  French.] 

Helsixgfors.  ^Slarch  ist,  1S94. 

•  Monsietir:  In  reply  to  your  kind  letter  of  April  23rd. 
asking  for  the  comments  of  ]Miss  Hjelt  and  myself  on  the 
testimony  borne  bv  ]Mr.  vSchoultz.  we  have  the  honor  of 
submitting  what  follows. 

As  for  the  left  hand  which  ]\Ir.  Schoultz  claims  to  have 
shaken  behind  the  curtain,  we  both  remember  that  at  the 
seance  held  ]March  4th,  at  Prof.  Selling's  house,  at  which 
]Mr.  Schoultz  was  also  present.  I  told  him  that  I  had  twice 
shaken  a  right  hand.  I  asked  him  if  he  had  remarked  the 
same  thing,  and  he  replied  that  he  had  only  been  permitted 
to  take  the  tips  of  the  fingers,  and  that  he  could  not  tell 
whether  it  was  a  left  hand  or  a  right  one.  vSeveral  persons 
heard  him  say  so. 

The  incident  of  the  glass  of  water  did  not  happen  at  the 
last  seance.  ]Mr.  Schoultz  has  confused  the  occurrences, 
and  has  related  them  in  a  very  different  manner  from  that 
in  which  they  were  reported  by  others  and  observed  bv 
ourselves. 


88       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


As  we  have  already  stated  in  our  respective  narratives, 
(therein  contradicting  Mr.  Schoultz,)  we  observed  that  the 
medium  remained  quietly  seated,  during  the  entire  seance. 
We  affirm  that  she  did  not  put  her  arms  behind  the  curtain 
and  that  she  did  not  rise  from  her  chair.  We  were  both 
nearer  to  the  medium  than  Mr.  Schoultz. 

To  explain  the  inflation  of  the  medium's  skirts,  (or  what 
Mr.  Schoultz  supposed  such,)  Miss  Hjelt  has  asked  me  to 
relate  the  following.  The  last  manifestation  which  she 
remembers  seeing,  before  the  dematerialization,  was  a 
luminous  mass,  which  glided  from  the  medium's  lap  to  the 
floor  at  the  left  side  of  Madam  d'Esperance.  Miss  Hjelt 
supposes  that  Mr.  Schoultz  mistook  this  phenomenon  for  a 
puffing-out  of  the  medium's  dress.  She  says  that  it  was 
perhaps  her  fault  that  this  manifestation  disappeared  so 
quickly ;  for,  the  better  to  convince  her  neighbor,  ]VIr. 
Lonnbom,  she  took  his  hand  and  moved  it  towards  the 
luminous  ball,  from  the  other  side  of  the  medium's  lap, 
intending  him  to  grasp  it.  At  the  approach  of  their  hands, 
it  moved  off  towards  the  cabinet.  The  medium  then  cried, 
"Do  not  touch  it;  let  it  alone."  Mr.  Lonnbom  there- 
upon apologized,  stating  that  Miss  Hjelt  had  moved  his 
hand. 

Among  those  seated  opposite  Mr.  Schoultz,  Capt. 
Toppelius  is  the  only  one  whom  we  heard  say  that  he 
could  not  see  the  medium.  This  is  easily  explained. 
While  the  seance  was  in  progress,  hands  which  came  from 
the  cabinet  had  several  times  touched  him;  and,  in  order 
to  give  more  room  for  spirits  that  wished  to  come  out,  he 
had  moved  his  chair  a  little  backwards  and  to  the  right. 
This  change  of  position  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  see 
the  medium.  Miss  Hjelt  naturally  declared  that  she  could 
see  the  medium  the  whole  time. 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION . 


89 


The  medium  did  not  say,  "  Now  my  limbs  are  gone." 
She  did  not  mention  the  phenomenon.  It  was  Prof.  vSeil- 
ing  who  first  announced  it  to  the  company. 

Miss  Hjelt  declares  that  she  very  easily  followed  all  the 
motions  of  the  medium's  hands.  She  absolutely  denies  that 
the  medium  busied  her  hands  about  her  waist,  as  if  arrang- 
ing her  toilet.  As  for  myself,  I,  too,  devoted  myself  exclu- 
sively to  watching  the  medium  the  whole  time  that  the  dema- 
terialization  lasted,  and  I  saw  nothing  of  what  Mr.  Schoultz 
relates.  Moreover,  it  appears  that  Mr.  Schoultz,  after 
declaring  at  the  outset  that  he  had  seen  nothing,  so  to 
speak,  ends  by  seeing  everything,  down  to  the  most  minute 
details  ! 

Accept,  monsieur,  the  most  respectful  salutations  on 
behalf  of  Miss  Hjelt  and  myself. 

With  the  highest  consideration, 

Fanny  Tavaststjerna. 


IX.  Testimony  of  General  Sederhoem.' 

On  the  fourth  of  December,  1893,  Madam  d'Esperance 
set  out  for  St.  Petersburg,  whence  she  returned  to  Helsing- 
fors  on  the  eleventh  of  the  same  month.  A  seance  was 
held  the  following  evening.^  There  were  but  sixteen  per- 
sons present. 

Madam  d'Esperance  wore  a  light-colored,  loose-fitting 
dress.  The  seat  given  me  was  far  from  the  cabinet.  On 
this  occasion,  I  saw  nothing  of  much  moment  —  onlv  a 

^  Taken  from  the  Helsingfors  journal,  "  Nya  Pressen,"  No.  343, 
December  17,  1S93. — A. A. 

-The  evening  of  the  same  day.  — Translator. 


90       A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


hand  was  repeatedly  extended  from  the  cabinet;  it  touched 
the  shoulders  and  the  heads  of  those  nearest. 

The  total  width  of  the  cabinet  was  not  more  than  a  metre 
and  a  half/  If  placed  in  the  center  of  the  cabinet,  there- 
fore, Madam  d'Esperance  coidd,  by  extending  her  arms 
behind  the  dark' curtain,  have  touched  her  nearest  neigh- 
bor without  showing  the  white  of  her  arm. 

Later,  Madam  d'Esperance  requested  some  of  the  par- 
ticipants to  examine  her  chair.  The  chair  was  now  occu- 
pied by  a  being  with  no  lower  limbs,  which  however  pos- 
sessed a  head  that  could  talk,  and  hands. 

Those  who  examined  the  chair,  found  that  it  was  empty, 
and  that  there  was  no  body  beneath  the  dress.  How  ex- 
plain this  miracle  of  a  human  being,  without  body  or 
limbs,  floating,  as  it  were,  in  the  air;  yet  speaking  and 
taking  the  hands  of  those  who  examined  the  chair?  Very 
easily.  If  you,  my  reader,  will  put  on  a  blouse  and  stand 
behind  a  chair,  as  Madam  d'Esperance  then  did,  covering 
its  back  with  your  dress  and  skirts,  you  will  work  the  same 
miracle  ;  for  those  who  examine  the  chair  with  their  hands 
—  in  the  dark,  of  course, — will  find  only  your  dress  and 
skirts  upon  it.  But  where  is  your  body?  It  has  disap- 
peared; it  is  dematerialized. 

None  of  the  believers  in  Madam  d'Esperance  would 
admit  that  she  was  standing  behind  the  chair,  for  that 
would  be  to  suspect  her  —  to  doubt  her  and  her  spiritualistic 
manifestations. 

I  leave  my  readers  to  draw  their  own  conclusions.  I 
simply  state  the  facts  as  I  saw  them." 

^Not  quite  two  yards.  —  Translator. 

^  This  is  all  that  the  old  General  has  seen  fit  to  say  on  the  subject 
wliich  is  of  any  special  interest  to  us.  We  need  not  attach  much 
importance  to  this,  for  the  General  has  not  cited  things  which  he 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DE:MATERIALIZATiON. 


91 


X.  Testimony  of  Mr.  Jeax  Boldt.^ 

[Original  in  German.] 

Helsixgfors.  May  Sth-20th,  1S94. 
Monsieur  le  Conseiller  d'Etat  : 

I  beg  you  to  excuse  me  for  not  having  replied  more 
promptly,  but  the  principal  reason  is  that  I  had  nothing  in 
particular  to  communicate  in  regard  to  the  so-called  phe- 
nomenon of  dematerialization. 

As  I  mentioned  to  you,  I'h'a  voct\  I  was  not  permitted  to 
examine  the  entire  seat  of  the  chair,  on  that  occasion,  so 
that  my  observations  are  of  no  real  value.  All  that  I  can 
say  is  that  the  upper  part  of  the  medium's  body  was  in  its 
natural  position.  jSIost  cordially,  etc., 

Jeax  Boldt. 
Address,  Nikolaigatan,  No.  23. 


XI.   Testimoxy  of  Gexeral  Galixdo  axd  ]\Ir. 

LOXXBOM. 

These  two  accounts  have  not  reached  me,  up  to  the 
present  time.  I  regret  that  I  did  not  see  Mr.  Lonnbom 
during^  mv  stav  at  Helsinrfors.    All  that  I  learned  was 

saii'.  but  constructs  his  article  solely  of  things  ^vhich  he  did  not  see. 
Instead  of  facts,  he  gives  suppositions,  and  ^ve  have  taken  those  into 
consideration.  —  A. A. 

How  much  more  thoroughly  Prof.  A.  has  considered  every  possi- 
ble hypothesis  and  objection  we  leave  the  thoughtful  reader  to  judge. 
The  method  and  candor  of  the  author  make  this  book  a  model. 

Translator. 

^Jiiriste  et  homme  de  lettres.  —  A. A. 


92       A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


that  he  knew  nothing  of  spiritualism,  and  that  it  was  the 
first  time  that  he  had  ever  been  present  at  a  seance.  As 
he  sat  very  close  to  the  medium,  he  could  easily  see  every- 
thing^ and  he  was  very  much  astonished ;  but  the  next 
day  he  tried  to  explain  the  whole  as  done  with  dolls  and 
gutta-percha  hands,  adroitly  handled  by  the  medium  ;  but 
at  the  same  time  he  was  unable  to  see  how  she  did  it.  \_See 
the  testimony  of  Dr.  Hertzbeig^  No.  VII. ~\  I  addressed 
Mr.  Lonnbom,  how^ever,  through  the  intermediation  of  Dr. 
Hertzberg  and  Prof.  Selling,  and  asked  him  to  give  me 
his  impressions  of  the  seance,  as  w^ell  as  any  explanation 
of  the  manifestations  he  saw  fit,  not  hesitating  to  express 
himself  freely;  but  I  have  heard  nothing  from  him,  up  to 
the  present  time. 

As  for  General  Galindo,  whom  I  have  known  for  many 
years,  I  saw  him  at  Helsingfors.  He  is  very  skeptical,  as 
well  as  very  desirous  to  see  and  be  convinced.  I  questioned 
him  about  the  seance,  but,  to  my  great  astonishment,  he  de- 
clared that  he  had  seen  nothing  whatever  of  all  that  Miss 
Hjelt  relates,  because  of  the  darkness  of  the  room.  As  it 
seemed  to  me,  also,  that  he  cherished  some  doubts  and  sus- 
picions, I  asked  him  to  communicate  them  to  me,  in  writ- 
ing, and  without  reserve,  —  as  I  had  invited  all  the  others 
to  do  ;  but  up  to  the  present  time  I  have  received  nothing 
from  him,  either.  — A. A. 


A  CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZ  ATIOX .  93 


XII.   Personal  Testimoxy  of  the  ^Medium, 
]\Iadam  d'Esperaxce. 

A.  Account  of  the  Seance  held  at  Helsingfors.  December 
\ith^  1S93,  at  the  residence  of  Prof.  Seiling.  Xo.  45 
WTadimirsgaten.  u'ritten  by  Madam  d' Esperance . 

[Origmal  in  English.] 

I  arrived  from  St.  PeterslDurg.  very  tired  after  the  night- 
ride,  with  a  severe  lieadaclie  and  a  sharp  pain  in  the  neck, 
which  1  was  told  was  the  commencement  of  an  attack  of 
influenza. 

I  had  tried  to  sleep  during  the  day.  but  without  suc- 
cess, and  was  inclined  to  postpone  the  seance  ;  but  con- 
sidering that,  if  I  was  to  have  the  influenza,  I  could  not 
hope  to  be  in  anv  better  condition  the  next  day.  and  that 
the  second  day  was  flxed  for  my  return  to  my  home  at 
Gottenburg.  postponement  of  the  seance  would  make  no 
improvement  in  the  situation. 

It  was  rather  late  when  I  reached  Prof.  Selling's  house 
and  all  the  members  of  the  circle  were  already  in  their 
places. 

The  room  was  lighted  bv  a  lamp  placed  upon  a  corner 
of  the  table,  and  the  door  of  the  seance-room  was  wide 
open.  The  piano  in  the  parlor  had  been  pushed  close  to 
the  door  and  a  lighted  lamp  hung  from  the  parlor  ceiling. 

General  Toppelius  was  seated  at  the  right  extremity  of 
the  circle.^  clo-e  to  the  cabinet,  with  ]Mr.  Lonnbom  next 
him  ;  behind,  and  about  half-way  between  them,  sat  Prof. 
Selling. 

Upon  entering.  I  spoke  to  very  few  of  those  present, 
and  sat  down  at  once  in  mv  place  before  the  cabinet,  with- 
out even  looking  about  me  ;  but  in  fact  I  never  did  that. 

^  See  diagram  of  the  room,  in  Prof.  Selling's  report.  — A. A. 


94       A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


I  was  in  too  much  pain  and  too  tired  to  enter  into  conver- 
sation. 

We  had  considerable  difficulty  with  the  light,  which 
was  arranged  as  follows  :  a  lamp  was  placed,  (as  I  sup- 
pose, for  I  did  not  see  the  lamp,)  in  the  niche  of  the  stove, 
and  the  opening  of  the  latter  was  covered  with  red,  or 
orange-colored,  paper.  The  light  fell  directly  on  the  cabi- 
net, and  was  a  great  inconvenience  to  those  who  sat  facing 
it;  but  after  they  had  tried  several  ways  to  soften  it,  I 
offered  my  shawl,  which  was  of  pale  blue  cashmere, 
which  was  hung  before  the  opening  and  answered  the 
purpose  very  well.  When  this  was  settled,  Mr.  Selling 
went  to  the  piano  and  played  one  of  Wagner's  serenades, 
if  I  remember  rightly. 

During  his  playing,  all  became  quiet  and  he  returned  to 
his  seat  on  my  left. 

I  heard  movements  in  the  cabinet  and  saw  hands,  which 
came  from  behind  and  above  me.  I  think  these  hands 
touched  those  who  sat  nearest  the  cabinet  on  both  sides  of 
me.  I  saw  the  hands  once  or  twice,  when  they  came  far 
enough  forward,  and  at  other  times  I  knew  they  were 
present,  by  the  remarks  of  the  spectators. 

I  was  seated  about  a  foot,  or  a  little  more,  from  the  cur- 
tains of  the  cabinet ;  the  light  was  strong  enough  to  enable 
me  to  recognize  every  person  in  the  circle,  and  I  observed 
that  Capt.  Toppelius  was  placed  seventh  or  eighth  on 
my  left.  This  put  me  in  mind  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
asked  to  be  seated  near  me,  and  because  of  my  promise, 
I  asked  General  Toppelius  if  he  would  object  to  changing 
places  with  the  Captain.  He  immediately  consented  to 
do  so. 

Capt.  Toppelius  then  seated  himself  close  at  my  right 
hand  —  so  close  that  I  touched  him  whenever  I  moved. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATIOX. 


95 


The  manifestations  were  interrupted  bv  these  changes 
and  some  one  suggested  that  we  should  try  to  obtain  writ- 
ten instructions  as  to  the  best  way  to  proceed.  A  sheet 
of  letter-paper  and  a  pencil  were  handed  to  me,  so  that  I 
might  receive  any  communication,  using  my  lap  for  a 
table. 

While  I  thus  waited,  a  large  hand  and  bare  arm  reached 
from  the  cabinet,  over  my  head,  into  my  lap,  snatched  the 
paper  and  pencil,  and  disappeared  with  them  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  cabinet. 

I  heard  the  noise  of  rumpling  and  tearing  paper  and 
then  that  of  a  pencil,  writing.  Then  the  hand  came  from 
the  curtains  behind  me,  dropped  a  part  of  the  paper  and 
the  pencil  in  my  lap,  handed  the  rest  of  the  paper  to  Capt. 
Toppelius  and  disappeared  again.  The  Captain  after- 
wards found  a  communication  in  the  Swedish  lansfuag-e 
written  on  the  paper.  The  hand  and  arm  appeared  far 
above  both  our  heads,  as  if  those  of  a  very  tall  person. 

The  curtains  were  frequently  drawn  apart  and  I  saw  that 
there  were  forms,  more  or  less  perfectly  materialized, 
inside  the  cabinet.  I  do  not  think  that  any  of  them  came 
further  out  than  my  chair,  but  I  cannot  be  certain  ;  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  unless  I  was  touched  or  questioned, 
I  sat  with  my  eyes  closed  and  my  hands  clasped  behind  my 
neck,  as  this  position  seemed  to  ease  my  headache. 

Capt.  Toppelius  spoke  to  me  once  or  twice  and  I  re- 
member that  he  made  the  remark  that  there  w^as  a  strong 
smell  of  turpentine,  or  something  like  it,  in  the  room.  I 
detected  it,  also  ;  but,  instead  of  paying  any  attention  to  it, 
I  endeavored  to  see  and  hear  nothing,  so  as  not  to  interrupt 
the  manifestations,  which  seemed  to  be  feeble,  at  best. 

I  felt  miserably  weak  and  frightfully  nervous,  all  through 
the  manifestations,  but  attributed  it  to  the  illness  with  which 


96       A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


I  was  threatened  ;  and  I  heartily  wished  that  the  seance 
could  be  soon  finished,  so  that  I  could  get  some  rest. 

Shortly  after  that,  I  relaxed  my  muscles  and  let  my 
hands  fall  upon  my  lap,  and  I  then  found  out  that,  instead 
of  resting  against  my  knees,  they  rested  against  the  chair 
in  which  I  was  sitting.  This  discovery  disturbed  me 
greatly,  and  I  wondered  if  I  was  dreaming.  I  patted  my 
skirt  carefully,  all  over,  trying  to  locate  my  limbs  and  the 
lower  half  of  my  body,  but  found  that  although  the  upper 
part  of  it — arms,  shoulders,  chest,  etc.,  —  was  in  its 
natural  state,  all  the  lower  part  had  entirely  disappeared. 
I  put  my  hand  where  my  knees  should  have  been,  but 
nothing  whatever  was  there  but  my  dress  and  skirts. 
Nevertheless,  I  felt  just  as  usual — better  than  usual,  in 
fact ;  so  that,  if  my  attention  had  not  been  attracted  by 
accident,  I  should  probably  have  known  nothing  of  the 
occurrence. 

Leaning  forward  to  see  if  my  feet  were  in  their  proper 
place,  I  almost  lost  my  balance.  This  frightened  me  very 
much,  and  I  felt  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  assure 
myself  whether  I  was  dreaming,  or  the  victim  of  an  hal- 
lucination. To  this  end,  I  reached  over  and  took  Prof. 
Selling's  hand,  asking  him  to  tell  me  if  I  was  really  seated 
in  the  chair.  I  awaited  his  answer  in  a  perfect  agony  of 
suspense. 

I  felt  his  hand,  just  as  if  it  touched  my  knees ;  but 
he  said,  "There  is  nothing  there  —  nothing  but  your 
skirts  !  " 

This  gave  me  a  still  greater  fright.  I  pressed  my  free 
hand  against  my  breast  and  felt  my  heart  beating  wildly. 

I  was  almost  fainting  from  terror  and  asked  for  a  glass 
of  water,  which  was  given  me.  As  soon  as  I  drank  the 
water,  I  broke  into  a  profuse  perspiration.    Every  moment 


A   CASE   OF    PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX . 


97 


added  to  mv  fright,  and  I  waited  in  terror  to  see  what 
would  happen  to  me  next. 

I  heard  the  other  spectators  ask  what  had  happened  and 
knew  that  ]Mr.  SeiHng  was  telling  them  of  the  disappear- 
ance of  part  of  my  body.  Several  of  them  asked  permis- 
sion to  come  closer,  that  they  might  see  for  themselves.  I 
remembered  that  Dr.  Hertzberg  took  an  active  interest  in 
such  matters  and  asked  him  to  come  forward.  He  changed 
places  with  Prof.  Selling  and  I  held  his  hand  almost  all 
the  rest  of  the  time. 

Some  one  afterwards  asked,  ''Can  ]\Ir.  Boldt  go  and 
see  ?  "  —  Can  ]Mr.  Schoultz  approach  ?  "  Thev  came  and 
touched  me.  They  put  their  hands  on  the  chair  and  passed 
them  all  along  mv  dress.  INIv  nervousness  and  fright  aug- 
mented every  moment,  and  I  suffered  extremely.  Capt. 
Toppelius  examined  me  and  exclaimed,  as  if  shocked  — 
"  Not  even  half  of  vour  bodv  is  left  !  "  This  information 
made  me  ill.  I  felt  shaken,  too  ;  and  when  still  others 
seemed  to  wish  to  make  a  critical  examination.  I  felt  that  I 
could  stand  no  more  and  asked  them  to  leave  me  alone  a 
moment. 

Somebody  suggested  that  we  should  terminate  the  seance, 
but  I  feared  that  something  would  happen  to  me  if  we  did, 
and  begged  them  to  remain  quietlv  seated.  Thev  com- 
plied. 

I  think  Mr.  Selling  played  an  air  softly  on  the  piano,  or 
some  one  may  have  sung  ;  I  do  not  exactly  know,  for  I  was 
scarcely  more  than  half  conscious.  Calm  was  restored  and 
after  a  while  I  felt  my  limbs  gradually  restored  and  my 
skirts  filled  out.  The  great  nervous  fright  which  I  had 
endured  subsided  little  by  little,  and  about  half  an  hour 
from  the  time  that  the  last  person  had  touched  me,  as  near 
as  I  can  judge,  I  recovered  my  normal  condition.  The 


98        A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


reaction,  after  an  experience  so  trying,  will  account  for  my 
uncertainty. 

I  drank  a  cup  of  tea  and  I  think  I  ate  something,  but  I 
am  not  sure.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  more,  I  felt  able 
to  take  leave  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Selling  and  to  return  home 
with  General  and  Madam  Toppelius. 

Three  months  have  passed  since  that  incident ;  but  for 
only  five  days  past  have  my  nerves  felt  fully  restored  from 
the  fatigue  and  the  emotions  that  I  then  underwent. 

It  is  probable  that  dematerialization  of  the  medium  oc- 
curs at  every  seance,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  ;  but  on 
the  occasion  in  question,  it  occurred  in  an  exceptional  way  ; 
that  is  to  say  that  one  part  of  my  body  remained  intact, 
while  the  other  part,  as  far  as  I  could  tell,  was  completely 
dematerialized. 

I  do  not  know  whether  this  same  thing  has  happened 
before,  in  the  same  manner,  or  not;  and  I  can  truly  say 
that  it  is  to  chance  rather  than  intention  that  I  owe  the  dis- 
covery. While  it  lasted,  my  most  marked  sensations  were 
great  physical  depression  and  a  repugnance  to  speech  or 
motion ;  at  the  same  time,  I  was  very  sensitive  to  the 
thoughts  and  feelings  of  those  around  me,  and  they  affected 
me  powerfully. 

The  discovery  of  the  partial  dematerialization  was  a 
great  shock  to  me,  for  I  felt  that  I  was  among  stran- 
gers, unfamiliar  with  any  such  phenomena ;  and  when 
I  thought  how  necessary  it  is  for  the  participants  to  re- 
main quiet  and  calm  during  the  continuance  of  any  such 
manifestation,  I  became  agitated  and  nervous  —  doubtless 
to  an  absurd  degree  —  the  more  so  as  the  manifestation 
lasted  so  long.  It  seemed  to  me  that  it  lasted  fully  an  hour, 
although  I  could  form  no  accurate  conception  of  the  actual 
time. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  99 


I  knew  that  the  excitement  of  the  spectators  interfered 
with  my  restoration,  or  at  least  made  it  more  difficult. 

Although  this  singular  half-dematerialization  was  an  en- 
tirely novel  experience  for  me,  the  question  just  how  far 
my  form  was  dissolved,  or  in  a  fluid  or  half-fluid  state,  had 
often  been  raised  at  home,  without  our  ever  arriving  at  any 
conclusion  ;  for  I  always  suffered  mortal  agony  if  any  one 
touched  me  while  materialized  spirits  were  outside  of  the 
cabinet.  When  grasped,  or  even  touched,  during  the  ma- 
terializations, I  felt  such  a  shock  that  I  was  always  more 
or  less  sick  for  several  days  after. 

When  I  first  commenced  to  sit  outside  the  cabinet,  an 
event  occurred  which  tended  to  show  the  spectators  what  I 
had  already  been  able  to  demonstrate,  in  a  different  way. 
We  all  saw  a  cloudy  stream,  like  mist  or  fog,  spring  from 
my  chest  and  pour  into  my  lap,  where  it  assumed  the  form 
of  a  child. ^  AVhen  this  child's-form  was  touched,  the  fin- 
gers seemed  to  sink  into  it,  and  at  the  same  time  I  felt  as  if 
fingers  were  being  pressed  against  my  own  cheek.  The 
infant  was  very  vivacious,  and  squirmed  in  my  lap  in  the 
most  natural  manner.  This  greatly  amused  Mr.  Fidler's 
son,  Hudson,  and  wishing  to  play  with  the  baby's  little 
feet,  he  put  his  hand  on  my  lap  for  that  purpose,  but  the 
hand  sank  through  the  baby's  limbs  and  touched  my  dress. 
This  frightened  him  and  he  quickly  retired,  partly  because 
he  was  afraid  and  partly  because  I  could  not  bear  the 
pressure  I  felt,  and  asked  him  to  withdraw  his  hand.  On 
that  occasion,  it  seemed  as  if  my  entire  body  was  in  a 

^  A  footnote  inserted  here  in  the  original  work,  refers  to  an 
entirely  different  incident,  which  happened  more  than  two  rears 
after  the  text  was  written  by  ]Madam  d'Esperance.  To  avoid  con- 
fusion, I  have  inserted  it  at  the  end  of  this  paragraph. — Trans- 
lator. 


100     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


semi-fluid  state.  I  could  speak  and  gesticulate,  but  could 
not  stand  up.  My  limbs  seemed  to  be  too  soft  to  bear  me.^ 
Perhaps  I  may  try,  at  some  future  time,  to  give  you  fur- 
ther evidence  of  these  phenomena  ;  but  up  to  the  present 
time,  I  have  not  been  able  to  devise  any  plan  w^hich  v^ill 
enable  me  to  produce  them  and  v^ill  at  the  same  time 
insure  me  against  a  recurrence  of  the  unpleasant  experi- 
ences of  the  last  seance. 

E.  d'Esperance. 

Gottenburg,  March  14th,  1894.^ 

^  About  the  end  of  July,  1896,  Madam  d'Esperance  came  to  Paris 
for  a  brief  visit.  In  the  presence  of  five  persons  [Madam  Aksakof, 
Madam  Boutlerof,  her  friend  the  Baronne  de  Zeidlitz,  Madam 
Cauvin  and  myself],  she  tried  to  see  how  much  of  her  mediumistic 
power  she  had  regained.  She  sat  upon  a  sofa,  we  upon  chairs ;  the 
lights  were  extinguished  and  we  waited  in  silence,  without  forming 
a  chain.  After  a  few  moments  we  all  saw  a  luminous  ball  in  the 
direction  of  the  medium,  at  about  the  height  of  her  chest,  as  it 
seemed  to  us.  The  ball  looked  like  mist,  or  a  luminous  fog.  It 
spread  out  towards  the  floor,  then  contracted,  assumed  the  most 
various  shapes,  and  at  times  displayed  verj  brilliant  points,  like 
small  stars.  Finally,  Madam  Cauvin,  who  seemed  to  be  entirely 
unfamiliar  with  such  manifestations,  thought  she  recognized  the 
form  of  an  infant.  She  became  alarmed,  wished  to  get  away,  cried 
out,  and  made  so  much  trouble  as  to  put  an  end  to  the  manifesta- 
tions. The  luminous  vapor  diminished  in  volume,  and  finally  dis- 
appeared. 

This  vapor  doubtless  resembled  that  which  came  from  the  me- 
dium Eglington,  under  like  circumstances.  He  compared  it  to 
the  smoke  of  a  lighted  cigarette.  The  artist,  James  Tissot,  made 
use  of  a  very  original  simile,  likening  it  to  "  grated  moon-light." 
To  me,  it  appeared  like  the  light  of  the  milky  way  on  a  .clear  night, 
when  it  is  really  of  a  milky  whiteness.  — A.  de  R. 

^  I  was  unable  to  obtain  this  account  any  earlier,  for  to  my  request 
Madam  d'Esperance  replied  that  she  was  too  weak  to  write  it  out, 
and  that  even  the  thought  of  that  seance  and  of  her  frightful  sensa- 
tions was  still  insupportable.  —  A. A. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZ ATIOX .  101 


B.   Questions  addressed  to  MadaDi  d' Esperaiice  by  Mons. 

Aksakof. 

Having  received  this  most  interesting  account,  but  find- 
ing it  imperfect  in  some  respects.  I  begged  Z^ladam  d'Es- 
perance  to  inform  me  upon  the  following  points  : 

The  principal  reflection  made  upon  vour  conduct  is  that 
von  held  and  guided  the  hands  of  those  who  examined  the 
chair.     For  this  reason  I  would  ask  you  to  explain  : 

1.  AVhv  vou  did  so  and  how  the  chair  was  examined. 
Was  the  seat  inspected  clear  to  the  back  .-  And  what  and 
how  did  vou  feel  during  die  process  :  All  this  is  of  the 
utmost  importance. 

2.  Your  condition  was  so  extraordinary  that  you  prob- 
ablv  tried  to  observe  everv  feature  of  it.  Thus,  for  instance, 
did  vou  put  ^'our  own  hands  in  to  tlie  space  between  the  trunk 
of  vour  bodv  and  the  chair:  AVas  there  such  a  space 
between  vour  bodv  and  the  seat,  to  vour  knowledge?  If 
this  was  so,  (as  several  witnesses  have  assured  me.  )  your 
bust  must  have  floated  in  the  air,  without  any  visible  sup- 
port, so  to  speak  ;  did  it  not  ? 

3.  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  state  exactly  ho\v  far  Prof. 
Seilinof  and  Dr.  Hertzberg;  carried  their  examination  of  the 
chair  ;  for  ]Mr.  Boldt  and  ^Ir.  Schoultz  say  that  they  were 
only  permitted  to  make  a  partial  examination  r 

4.  I  beg  that  vou  will  also  state  exactly  whiit  Capt. 
Toppelius  did.  He  writes  that  you  "  placed  his  hands,  or 
rather  guided  them,  down  along  both  sides  of  your  body, 
as  far  as  the  seat  of  the  chair. Consequentlv.  he  is  the 
only  one  who  is  so  fortunate  as  to  be  able  to  verify  the 
actual  presence  of  the  upper  part  of  vour  body,  in  its 
natural  place.  I  beg  vou  to  give  particular  attention  to 
this  important  point.  As  to  this,  you  say,  elsewhere,  only 
that  —     Capt.  Toppelius  also  examined  me."    Did  he  use 


102     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION . 


both  hands  in  so  doing,  or  only  one  ?  The  slightest particu- 
lai^s  in  regard  to  this  matter  are  of  vast  importance. 

5.  The  following  expression  occnrs  in  your  narrative  :  — 
"  As  soon  as  I  drank  the  water,  I  broke  into  a  profuse 
perspiration."  I  wish  that  you  would  clearly  explain  your 
sensations  while  drinking  water,  under  such  remarkable 
conditions. 

6.  There  is  one  more  detail,  still  to  be  desired  —  The 
state  of  your  health,  after  what  you  had  endured,  should 
be  minutely  described  ;  and  also,  be  it  understood,  your 
loss  of  mediumistic  power.  How  did  you  discover  and 
make  sure  of  the  loss.^  And  when  did  the  symptoms  of 
its  return  occur  to  your  notice 


C.   Siipplevientajy  Expla7iations  by  Madam  d' Esperance. 

The  following  are  Madam  d'Esperance's  an- 
swers : 

I.  I  guided  the  hand  of  the  first  person  who  examined 
the  chair  because  I  was  averse  to  mentioning  my  own  im- 
pression of  what  had  taken  place,  not  being  sure  that  what 
I  thought  was  true,  and  also  to  see  if  that  person  confirmed 
my  discovery.  I  wished  to  do  this  without  attracting  the 
attention  of  the  other  persons  present.  We  passed  our 
hands  quickly  all  over  the  seat  of  the  chair,  and  when  they 
struck  the  back  of  the  chair,  I  felt  a  slight  shock.  Before 
the  examination,  I  felt  weak  and  distressed,  with  a  peculiar 
numbness  in  my  members  ;  but  I  suffered  no  actual  pain 
except  in  the  neck,  up  to  the  time  that  the  chair  and  the 
place  where  my  body  should  have  been,  were  touched. 
Then  the  distress  became  intolerable,  exactly  as  if  my 
nerves  had  been  touched  to  the  quick.    Dr.  Hertzberg 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEAIATERI ALIZATTON .  103 


came,  at  my  request.  I  think,  and  in  like  manner  passed 
his  hands  over  the  seat,  the  back  and  where  mv  Hmbs 
should  have  iDeen.  I  do  not  think  that  I  guided  his  hands, 
but  I  am  not  sure.  He  then  took  the  seat  which  ^Ir. 
Seilincr  had  occuDied  before. 

Messrs.  Schoultz  and  Boldt  then  came  together  to  make 
their  examination,  and  by  so  doing,  intercepted  the  light 
completelv.  Thev  used  their  hands  awkwardlv  and  fright- 
ened me  so  that  I  grasped  their  hands,  (or  one  hand  of 
each.)  rather  to  protect  myself  than  for  any  other  reason. 
I  reallv  do  not  believe  that  I  thought  what  I  was  doing,  at 
the  time.  Their  motions  were  brusque,  nervous  and  un- 
certain, and  as  they  had  their  backs  to  the  light.  I  was  in 
their  shadow.  It  is  therefore  very  likely  that  they  did  not 
see  me  as  plainly  as  the  others.  They  were  to  blame  for 
comino;  too:ether.  for  thev  interfered  with  each  other's  move- 
ments. 

2.  I  do  not  knov"  how  much  space  there  was  between 
mv  bodv  and  the  chair.  It  seemed  to  vary.  There  was 
no  apparent  support  except  the  garments  which  I  wore. 

3.  I  felt  so  sick  and  faint  after  being  examined  bv 
Messrs.  Schoultz  and  Boldt.  that  I  was  very  much  afraid 
of  swoonino;'  and  fallinof  from  the  chair. 

The  agitation  of  the  witnesses  had  a  peculiar  effect  upon 
me,  and  I  was  terribly  afraid  that  something  would  happen, 
without  knowing  v.diat.  I  gi'asped  Dr.  Heitzberg's  right 
hand  with  my  left  and  held  it  against  the  seat  of  the  chair, 
and  it  helped  to  keep  me  upright,  as  I  felt  myself  falling 
forward.  I  sat  thus  some  time,  still  holding  Dr.  Hertz- 
bero^'s  hand,  as  it  seemed  to  ^ive  me  strength. 

4.  Capt.  Toppelius  asked  permission  to  draw  near,  and 
as  soon  as  I  had  a  little  recovered  from  my  fright  and  faint- 
ness.  he  came  to  me.    I  then  took  mv  hand  from  that  of 


104     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Dr.  Hertzberg,  and,  grasping  the  Captain's  hand  in  mine, 
guided  it  carefully,  (because  I  was  in  great  fear  of  pain,) 
from  my  shoulders,  along  the  back  of  the  chair  and  down 
to  the  place  where  my  knees  should  have  been,  and  then 
along  to  my  feet.    In  so  doing,  I  once  more  lost  my  balance. 

At  the  same  instant,  he  seemed  to  feel  a  kind  of  shock 
and  cried  —  ' '  Good  God  !  half  your  body  is  gone  ;  it  makes 
me  sick"  — or  something  like  it.  His  touch  and  his  agita- 
tion caused  a  return  of  my  weakness  ;  but  I  had  noticed,  in 
lowering  my  hands  along  my  body,  that  part  of  it  remained, 
below  the  waist.  In  fact,  it  did  not  seem  to  terminate  ab- 
ruptly, for  I  felt  no  sudden  break.  Since  then,  I  have  had 
an  impression  that  the  dematerialization  was  more  general 
than  I  had  supposed  upon  my  first  discovery  ;  for  I  remem- 
ber that  when  I  followed  the  outline  of  my  body,  guiding 
the  Captain's  hand,  it  struck  me  that  I  seemed  thinner 
and  that  the  flesh  was  more  soft,  than  usual.  But  I  made 
the  deduction  afterwards.  Distress,  agitation  and  fear  pre- 
vented me  from  thinking  of  anything  but  my  condition,  at 
the  time. 

5.  After  Capt.  Toppelius  had  returned  to  his  seat,  Mr. 
Selling  insisted  on  the  observance  of  calm  and  silence.^  I 
asked  for  water  ;  and,  in  the  very  act  of  drinking,  I  wondered 
how  the  water  could  be  absorbed.  I  felt  no  distress  what- 
ever after  they  ceased  to  touch  me  ;  but  I  felt  great  weakness 
and  bodily  disquiet.  I  asked  myself  where  the  dissolved 
portion  of  my  body  could  be  and  wondered  if  I  should  ever 
be  whole  again.  From  the  moment  of  the  first  discovery, 
the  nearest  persons,  and  I  myself,  had  an  impression  that 
there  were  one  or  more  forms  in  the  cabinet,  behind  me, 
but  in  my  fright  I  forgot  them. 

^  He  started  a  hymn,  the  others  joined,  and  this  helped  to  restore 
quiet.  — E.  d'Esperance. 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  105 


I  felt  that  the  water  Avhich  I  drank  was  alisorbed  in  the 
pores  of  my  skin,  and  I  saw  my  skirts  fill  out.  little  bv 
little.  There  was  no  more  pain,  but  I  felt  a  tingling  sen- 
sation, as  if  my  feet  were  asleep.  I  watched  the  filling-out 
of  mv  skirts  with  great  pleasure  and  noticed  that  every- 
thing in  the  cabinet  grew  quiet. 

6.  After  the  seance,  I  felt  ver\-  weak  and  tired,  and 
could  scarcely  believe  that  all  this  had  really  happened. 
All  that  I  had  said  or  done,  seemed  to  have  been  said  or 
done  bv  another  person. 

I  returned  to  my  home  a  few  days  later,  but  could  not 
get  rid  of  mv  impressions.  I  felt  no  desire  for  anvthing  — 
either  amusement  or  occupation  —  and  found  it  impossible 
to  awaken  any  interest  in  anything  of  either  sort.  I  was 
dull  and  lifeless.  Any  attempt  to  work  or  think,  or  even 
to  write,  seemed  bevond  my  strength,  and  if  I  forced 
mvself  to  undertake  any  of  these  things,  the  effort  brought 
on  violent  pains  in  the  head  ;  my  hair  grew  white,  and 
when  I  had  these  headaches,  it  fell  out  in  large  quantities. 
And  whereas  I  was  naturally  quiet.  I  was  now  always 
sleepv.  and  could  hardly  keep  myself  awake  in  the  day- 
time. 

This  continued  for  three  months,  but  I  grew  better  at  the 
end  of  that  period.  At  the  request  of  friends.  I  held  sev- 
eral trial-seances,  to  see  if  I  could  not  obtain  intelligent 
communications,  in  the  hope  that  these  might  be  of  ser- 
vice, but  all  our  efforts  were  unavailing.  Later  still,  in 
^larch.  I  took  part  in  a  circle  held  at  the  house  of  ^Ir. 
Karl  Xordmark,  where  we  got  answers  by  raps  and  there 
was  an  attempt  at  materialization.  A  week  later,  we  tried 
again  but  had  no  success.  At  the  seance  following,  how- 
ever, we  succeeded  ;  one  spirit  materialized  and  was  recog- 
nized bv  some  of  the  sitters,  and  a  second  was  so  perfectly 


106     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION . 

materialized  that  it  went  around  the  circle  and  was  recog- 
nized by  a  young  man  as  his  mother. 

After  that,  I  felt  like  myself  again  and  although  not  yet 
perfectly  well,  I  felt  better  than  I  did  just  before  the  re- 
markable seance  at  Helsingfors. 

E.  d'Esperance. 


Partenkirchen,  Haute-Bavarie,  April  26th,  1894. 


CHAPTER  III. 


PERSONAL   IXVESTIGATIOX  OF   ?^IONS.  AKSAKOF. 

I  was  absolutely  compelled  to  rest  content 
with  the  foregoing  circumstantial  accounts,  and 
to  undertake  a  journey  to  Helsingfors,  myself ; 
for  the  case  involved  is  so  extraordinary,  so  in- 
credible, and  at  the  same  time  so  very  important, 
that  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  employ  every 
means  in  my  power  to  make  the  investigation  as 
complete  as  possible.  To  this  end,  my  journey 
to  Helsingfors  appeared  to  be  necessary  for  the 
follov/ing  reasons:  — 

I.  First  of  all,  it  was  desirable  that  I  should 
make  the  personal  acquaintance  of  the  witnesses 
of  the  phenomenon  referred  to,  as  upon  their 
testimony  depends  the  answer  to  the  first  great 
question  to  be  decided;  namely.  Did  this  happen, 
or  did  it  not.^ 

The  value  of  evidence  certainly  depends  in 
great  part  upon  the  moral  and  intellectual  com- 
petence of  those  from  whom  it  is  received;  it 
was  therefore  necessary  to  be  assured  of  such 
competence  on  the  part  of  the  witnesses.  In 
spiritualistic  matters,  it  is  incumbent  upon  us  to 
be  as  careful  as  we  are  distrustful  in  this  respect. 


108    A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Long  experience  in  this  domain  of  inquiry  has 
convinced  me  that  the  most  cautious  men,  and 
even  those  trained  to  observation  in  the  exact 
sciences,  may  see  things  awry,  when  spiritualism 
is  concerned.  The  compelling  desire  to  obtain 
certain  phenomena,  at  any  price,  sometimes  de- 
prives men  of  their  critical  faculty,  and  blinds 
them  to  everything  that  impeaches  the  reality  of 
the  expected  manifestations.  It  was  therefore 
incumbent  on  me  to  make  sure  that  the  witnesses 
in  question  were  not  mere  enthusiasts,  unworthy 
of  credit.  To  each  one  of  the  witnesses,  I  ac- 
cordingly put  a  certain  number  of  questions,  in 
order  to  verify  and  complete  that  which  they  had 
certified  in  writing. 

2.  I  considered  it  essential  that  I  should  see 
the  very  room  in  which  the  seance  was  held, 
with  the  same  cabinet  and  with  the  same  arrange- 
ment of  chairs,  etc.;  for,  frequently,  the  simplest 
things,  omitted  in  descriptions,  but  which  in- 
stantly strike  the  eye,  are  of  the  greatest  weight 
in  establishing  a  fact. 

3.  In  order  to  form  a  perfectly  accurate  idea 
of  the  principal  occurrences  at  that  memorable 
seance,  I  intended,  once  on  the  spot,  to  bring 
about  a  repetition  of  it,  —  that  is,  to  reproduce  the 
seance,  as  well  as  possible,  with  the  help  of  the 
actual  witnesses.  The  reader  has  already  learned, 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  109 

from  the  preceding  correspondence,  that  Prof. 
Selling,  (at  whose  house  the  sitting  was  held,) 
had  promised  me  his  assistance  in  the  under- 
taking, and  that  Miss  Hjelt  had  been  so  kind  as 
to  offer  to  act  the  part  of  the  medium,  in  a  cos- 
tume of  the  same  color  as  that  worn  by  the 
latter.  Taking  advantage  of  this  generous  prop- 
osition, I  asked  her  to  order,  at  my  expense,  a 
gown  of  the  very  same  pattern;  for  in  such  a 
matter  the  pattern  of  a  dress  plays  a  very  im- 
portant part,  as  we  shall  see  from  the  sequel. 

4.  Finally,  I  held  it  of  the  very  lirst  import- 
ance for  me  to  get  an  exact  idea  of  the  amount 
of  light  in  which  the  seance  was  held,  and  of  the 
sources  of  that  light.  As  for  the  windows  of  the 
room,  we  are  told  that  the  white  shutter  of  the  one 
was  lowered,  while  that  of  the  other  was  raised. 
This  made  it  important  that  the  kind  and  quantity 
of  light  which  penetrated  from  without  should 
be  taken  into  consideration.  The  least  moon- 
light would  have  greatly  modihed  the  brilliancy 
of  the  illumination.  But  according  to  all  the 
information  obtainable,  there  was  no  moon  at 
the  time  the  seance  took  place.  I  must  there- 
fore time  m}'  visit  by  that  phase  of  the  moon. 
I  did  so,  and  went  to  Helsingfors  on  the  iSth  of 
February,  (]March  2d,)  1894,  arriving  the  next 
morning,  after  a  journey  of  fourteen  hours.  This 


110     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


would  have  been  nothing  to  speak  of,  if  I  had 
not,  as  inseparable  travelling  companions,  a  num- 
ber of  bodily  infirmities,  which  make  all  journeys 
extremely  unpleasant  for  me.  I  went  directly 
to  Prof.  Seiling's  house  and  was  immediately 
presented  to  his  wife.  She  welcomed  me  with 
the  utmost  cordiality;  we  had  exchanged  so  many 
letters  that  we  met  as  old  friends. 

Without  loss  of  time,  we  went  to  the  room  in 
which  the  seance  was  held,  where  everything 
had  already  been  put  in  position,  as  shown  in 
the  diagram.  There  was  the  same  cabinet  used 
before,  made  from  a  movable  screen,  also  bor- 
rowed, (this  time  from  General  Toppelius,)  cov- 
ered with  shawls,  hung  in  place  of  curtains. 
Before  the  cabinet  was  the  very  same  chair  on 
which  Madam  d'Esperance  sat  during  the  seance, 
the  design  of  which  is  exactly  shown  in  Prof. 
Selling's  sketch.  The  chairs  occupied  by  the 
witnesses  were  arranged  at  the  sides. 

At  the  first  glance  I  was  struck  with  a  fact 
which,  in  spite  of  the  exact  scale  on  which  the 
diagram  is  drawn,  had  escaped  my  observation; 
and  this  proves  that  a  diagram  can  never  fully 
serve  the  purpose  of  an  examination  conducted 
on  the  spot.  The  first  thing  that  struck  me,  then, 
was  the  narrowness  of  the  space  for  the  circle, 
into  which  the  fifteen  chairs  of  the  witnesses 


A   CASE  OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  Ill 


could  hardly  be  crowded,  though  touching  each 
other; '  and  especially  the  narroAvness  of  the  space 
between  the  medium  and  her  nearest  neighbors. 
Their  knees  and  feet  must  have  filled  the  entire 
space,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seiling  assured  me  in 
reply  to  repeated  questions,  and  even  demon- 
strated for  me  on  the  spot.  This  is  a  fact  of  the 
very  gravest  import,  for  it  instantly  does  away 
with  the  possibility  of  those  manceuvers  by  which 
General  Sederholm  attempts  to  explain  the  mani- 
festations under  consideration. 

Soon  afterwards  Miss  Hjelt  and  her  friend. 
Miss  Tavaststjerna,  joined  us. 

First  of  all.  Miss  Hjelt  changed  her  dress  and 

'  The  sole  fault  in  Prof.  Sailing's  diagram  of  the  seance-room  is 
that  he  has  used  an  arbitrary  figure  —  namely,  a  cirele  —  for  each 
chair,  and  has  not  drawn  these  circles  to  scale,  as  he  did  the  rest  of 
his  figures.  If,  for  each  of  these  circles,  the  reader  will  substitute 
a  rectangular  figiire  of  the  exact  size  of  any  ordinary  chair  drawn 
to  scale,  he  will  find  that  most  of  these  rectangles  touch  each  other, 
and  that  the  witnesses  must  have  been  crowded  as  close  to  each  other 
and  to  the  medium  as  thej  possibly  could  be. 

It  will  be  seen  that  one  metre  of  the  scale  on  the  diagram  is  equal 
to  three  times  the  diameter  of  the  circles  :  hence,  as  the  metre  is 
hardly  equal  to  three  feet  and  three  inches,  English  measure,  he 
allows  only  13  inches  for  the  width  of  each  chair;  whereas  any  ordi- 
nary chair,  even  if  not  cushioned  or  upholstered,  is  at  least  16  inches 
wide  in  the  seat,  if  not  more.  To  properly  represent  the  closeness 
of  the  chairs  to  each  other,  we  should  therefore  add  nearly  one 
quarter  to  the  width  of  each  of  the  15  circles  representing  the  seats 
of  the  participants,  and  still  more  to  that  which  represents  the  me- 
dium's seat,  which  we  know  was  an  upholstered  chair. 

Traxslator. 


112     A   CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


put  on  the  white  princess  gown  which  she  had 
ordered  at  my  request.  When  so  dressed,  she 
initiated  me  into  the  secrets  of  such  a  costume, 
and  showed  me  why  the  explanation  advanced 
by  General  Sederholm  was  out  of  the  question; 
because  no  one  wearing  it  and  standing  behind 
the  chair  could  have  covered  the  chair  with  her 
skirts  so  as  to  keep  up  the  impression  that  the 
medium  was  seated  in  the  chair.  The  fact  is 
that  such  a  dress  does  not  unbutton  either  in 
front  or  behind,  but  must  be  put  on  over  the 
head,  the  only  opening  being  in  front  and  at  the 
waist.  Besides,  a  dress  of  this  make  requires  a 
complete  muslin  lining  or  under-waist,  to  which 
it  is  tightly  sewn;  otherwise  the  delicate  material 
will  not  stay  in  place.  For  all  these  reasons 
it  was  impossible  for  the  medium  to  resort  to  the 
stratagems  suggested,  and  this  shows  how  apt 
explanations,  invented  at  the  objector's  "  own 
sweet  will,"  (and  not  founded  on  a  careful  scru- 
tiny of  the  facts,)  are  to  assist  the  conclusive 
demonstration  of  a  proposition  which  at  first 
seemed  improbable. 

After  this  little  le^on  de  toilette^  of  a  kind  so 
new  to  me,  we  proceeded  to  re-enact  the  seance. 
Miss  Hjelt  took  the  place  of  the  medium,  and 
the  other  witnesses  took  their  respective  chairs. 
Mr.  Selling  sat  at  Miss  Hjelt's  left,  Madam  Sell- 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX .  113 


ing  on  her  right,  and  Miss  Tavaststjerna  on  the 
left  of  ]\Ir.  Seiling  —  Captain  Toppelius  was  ab- 
sent from  Helsingfors  at  the  time.  I  held  the 
detailed  account  of  the  seance,  written  by  ^Nliss 
Hjelt,  in  mv  hand,  and  commenced  to  read  it. 
As  I  read.  I  questioned  the  witnesses  concerning 
the  incidents  of  the  seance,  supplementing  the 
account  with  a  hgurative  representation  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  interesting  episodes. 

Miss  Hjelt's  responses  to  my  questions,  both 
answers  and  actions,  were  given  with  such  pre- 
cision  and  promptness  that  I  could  see  that  she 
had  observed  most  closely.  Xot  once  was  her 
memory  at  fault. 

I  found  that  her  report  of  the  seance  was 
exact  in  every  particular,  and  had  only  occasion 
to  add  some  minor  details  which  appear  in  my 
notes  to  her  narrative.  For  instance,  stepping 
behind  the  curtain  and  putting  ]Madam  Seiling 
in  the  medium's  chair,  she  faithfully  re-enacted 
the  incident  of  the  appearance  of  the  hand  and 
the  snatching  of  the  paper  and  the  pencil  from 
the  lap  of  the  medium.  Several  times.  I  put  the 
question.  Did  vou  plainly  see  the  medium  in 
her  chair  and  holding  the  paper  and  pencil,  at 
that  time?"  To  this  question,  she  alwavs  re- 
plied by  the  most  positive  affirmation.  This  in- 
cident is  of  the  first  importance  ;  for,  if  we  estab- 


114     A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


lish  the  marvelous  and  almost  incredible  fact  of 
inaterializatio7i^  it  implies  the  possibility  of  the 
equally  marvelous  and  incredible  fact  —  dema- 
terialization.  When  we  came  to  this  last-men- 
tioned manifestation,  Miss  Hjelt  took  the  place 
that  she  actually  occupied  throughout  the  seance 
and  showed  me  how,  overcome  by  intense  curi- 
osit}^,  she  moved  so  close  to  the  medium  that 
they  were  hardly  half  a  foot  apart;  and  how, 
even  then,  she  bent  forward,  so  as  to  look  more 
closely,  still. 

I  was  careful  to  ascertain  just  what  difference 
Miss  Hjelt  saw  in  the  medium's  skirts,  after  the 
disappearance  of  her  limbs,  as  Madam  Selling 
had  testified.  Miss  Hjelt  saw  the  medium  at  a 
different  angle  from  that  of  Madam  Selling's  line 
of  vision,  and  naturally  could  not  see  the  outline 
of  the  medium's  dress,  which  stood  out  sharply 
when  viewed  from  Madam  Selling's  seat;  then, 
too,  the  light  helped  the  latter,  as  it  fell  from  one 
side,  at  a  right  angle.  This  was  not  so,  as  to 
Miss  Hjelt,  who  faced  the  dark  back-ground  of 
the  cabinet. 

Many  other  questions  which  I  had  asked  Miss 
Hjelt  were  repeated  and  discussed  anew. 

I  interrogated  each  of  the  other  three  wit- 
nesses just  as  closely,  as  to  the  particulars  which 
each  could  best  observe;  as,  for  instance.  Prof. 


A   CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DEAJATERI ALIZATION .  115 


Seiling  and  Miss  Tavaststjeriia.  as  to  the  appari- 
tion of  the  hand  upon  their  side  of  the  cabinet  —  a 
right  hand,  though  upon  the  medium's  left,  and 
at  such  a  height  that  it  could  onlv  belong  to 
some  human  ibrm."  standing  up.  behind  the  cur- 
tain. ]\Ir.  Seiling  Avas  questioned  as  to  the 
matter  of  the  dematerialization.  as  he  had  an  ex- 
ceptional opportunity  to  observe  it  closeh'.  I 
asked  him.  using  the  same  chair,  to  show  me  the 
exact  way  in  which  he  had  examined  it  at  the  re- 
quest of  ^Nladam  d'Esperance  :  and  he  showed  me 
I'ust  as  it  is  represented  in  his  drawing. 

**  In  one  particular."  I  said  to  Air.  Seiling. 
"vour  narrative  is  incomplete.  Wh\'  did  vou  not 
make  sure  that  the  medium  was  not  behind  the 
chair,  when  you  even  went  so  far  as  to  place 
vour  hand  upon  the  chair-back.-^" 

"Such  an  idea  never  occurred  to  me."  replied 
Air.  Seiling."  and  why  should  I  go  behind  the  chair 
and  look  for  Aladam  d'Esperance.  when  I  could 
see  her  plainly  beibre  me,  seated  in  the  chair." 
You  must  remember  that,  during  that  time.  I  gave 
Aladam  d'Esperance  a  drink,  at  her  request,  and 
that  this  enabled  me  to  satisfy  myself,  with  still 
more  certainty,  that  she  was  really  in  the  chair."' 

For  this  argument.  I  had  no  reph'. 

^  A  hiimaii  form,  assumed  by  a  spirit,  in  materializing. 

Translator. 


1]G     A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Madam  Seiling,  in  turn,  was  closely  questioned 
as  to  the  details  of  her  valuable  account,  which 
she  confirmed  in  all  respects,  and  especially  as  to 
the  fact  that  the  medium's  dress,  (her  skirt,) 
after  hanging  vertically  from  the  edge  of  the  seat, 
gradually  filled  out  again  to  the  dimensions  and 
outlines  corresponding  to  her  feet  and  knees." 

In  short,  for  four  hours,  those  four  persons  had 
to  put  up  with  my  reading,  my  questions,  my 
objections;  and  I  acquired  a  profound  conviction 
that  all  had  really  occurred  just  as  declared  by 
the  witnesses  at  the  very  outset. 

That  my  readers  might  the  more  readily  pict- 
ure the  seance  for  themselves,  I  requested  these 
witnesses  to  come  together  once  more  after  my 
departure,  and  reproduce  and  photograph  its 
most  prominent  incidents,  so  as  to  furnish  illus- 
trations for  my  work.  Thanks  to  their  kindness, 
I  am  able  to  insert  the  accompanying  plates. 

Plate  No.  I  gives  a  general  idea  of  the  room 
in  which  the  seance  was  held;  two  windows  are 
shown  in  the  background,  one  with  the  shutter 
raised,  the  other  with  the  shutter  down;  between 
the  two  windows  is  the  cabinet.  [The  original 
cabinet,  alone,  was  not  used  in  the  photographs, 
as  the  folding^  screen  of  which  it  was  constructed 
was  borrowed  for  the  seance,  and  again  for  its 
reproduction  when  I  was  present,  and  had  since 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX.  117 


been  returned  to  the  owner.  But  this  is  of  no 
consequence,  of  course.] 

]\Icidam  Seiling,  dressed  in  a  gown  exactly 
similar  to  the  one  worn  by  Madam  d'Esperance, 
is  seated  in  the  same  place  that  the  medium 
occupied.  The  situation  selected  for  reproduc- 
tion is  when  the  medium  held  the  paper  and 
pencil,  and  a  hand,  thrust  from  high  up  behind 
the  curtain  of  the  cabinet,  was  lowered  and 
seized  them.  At  the  right.  ^Nlr.  Seiling  sits  in 
the  same  place  which  he  had  during  the  demate- 
rialization;  on  the  left  is  ]\Iiss  Tavaststjerna,  in 
^liss  Hjelt's  original  place,  while  the  latter 
stands  for  the  moment  behind  the  curtain,  to  act 
the  part  of  the  materialized  form.  She  shows 
how,  and  at  what  height,  the  hand  appeared, 
which  is  another  important  fact.  The  defective 
drapery  must  be  excused,  as  they  had  only  a 
white  sheet  with  which  to  imitate  it.  The  pict- 
ure shows,  at  the  same  time,  how  close  to  the 
medium  the  witnesses  were  seated.  / 

The  photograph  from  which  Plate  Xo.  2  was 
made  was  taken  for  the  express  purpose  of  show- 
ing how  clearly  the  head  and  bust  of  the  medium 
stood  out  ao-ainst  the  white  back-s^round  of  the 
window-shutter;  thus  enabling  ^Nliss  Hjelt  con- 
stantly to  scrutinize  the  position  of  the  medium 
and  her  different  motions,  especially  during  the 


118     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


dematerialization.  The  time  selected  for  this 
picture  is  that  at  which  a  hand  was  shown  on 
the  left  side  of  the  cabinet,  at  the  height  indi- 
cated. It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was  a 
7'ight  hand,  as  proved  by  the  hand-shaking  with 
Mr.  Seiling  and  Miss  Tavaststjerna,  to  which 
they  have  testified  in  their  respective  accounts. 
In  this  plate,  Miss  Hjelt  takes  the  medium's 
place,  with  her  head  turned  towards  the  mate- 
rialized hand  and  the  curtain,  as  she  had  seen 
Madam  d'Esperance  turn  her  head,  upon  the  oc- 
casion referred  to;  while  Miss  Tavaststjerna 
shows    her  hand.    [The  sleeve  of  the 

dress  is  a  very  natural  accessory,  as  will  be 
readily  understood.]  At  the  left  of  the  cabinet, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seiling  are  seated. 

After  the  representation  of  the  seance,  it  re- 
mained to  reproduce  the  conditions  of  light  in  the 
room,  so  as  to  make  sure  that  the  several  wit- 
nesses could  really  see  all  that  they  claimed  to 
have  observed. 

For  this  purpose,  we  came  together  at  Prof. 
Selling's  at  eight  o'clock  that  evening,  and  I  then 
had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  two  more  of  the 
original  witnesses,  namely,  General  Toppelius 
and  Engineer  Schoultz. 

The  task  of  reproducing  the  exact  amount 
of  light  was  not  as  easy  as  the  work  of  morn- 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  119 

ing.  The  same  small  lamp  was  placed  in  the 
same  niche  of  the  stove,  just  as  it  had  been 
originally;  but,  unhappily,  Mr.  Seiling  could  not 
get  the  same  kind  of  red  paper  which  had  been 
used  to  soften  the  light.  Consequently,  opin- 
ions differed,  as  the  paper  substituted  some- 
times gave  too  much  light,  and  sometimes  too 
little. 

At  last,  however,  we  succeeded  in  adjusting 
the  light  so  that  all  except  Prof.  Seiling  agreed 
that  it  was  the  same  as  that  in  which  they  held 
the  seance.  Mr.  Seiling,  however,  declared  that 
there  had  been  a  little  more  light  at  the  seance, 
because  there  was  snow  upon  the  roofs  at  that 
time,  and  that  some  reflection  from  it  entered 
by  the  window  with  the  raised  shutter;  and  this 
in  such  streno^th  that  he  could  see  to  tell  the 
time  on  his  watch.  This  showed  that  there  had 
been  a  fair  amount  of  reflected  light. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  I  made  sure  that,  even  with 
the  light  that  we  then  had,  Mr.  Seiling  could 
easily  distinguish  the  medium,  sitting  in  front  of 
him  and  hardly  a  foot  ofT,  and  I  verified  the  fact 
by  trying  it,  sitting  in  Mr.  Selling's  chair.  Then, 
changing  to  the  opposite  side,  where  Miss  Hjelt 
sat,  I  found  that  the  outline  of  the  medium 
would  be  plainly  visible  to  her,  (the  medium 
sitting  between  her  and  the  white  window-shut- 


120     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


ter,)  and  that  she  could  follow  every  one  of  the 
medium's  movements. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  faculty  of 
vision  in  comparative  darkness  varies  greatly, 
and  often  acquires  remarkable  strength.  I  have 
even  knov^n  a  person  whose  sight  was  so  acute 
that  she  could  see  a  needle  on  the  floor,  in  the 
dark.  In  the  present  instance,  Miss  Hjelt  and 
Miss  Tavaststjerna  both  claimed  that  they  had 
very  sharp  sight.  At  that  very  moment,  I  hap- 
pened to  recall  what  Miss  Hjelt  had  said  in 
her  narrative  as  to  seeing  the  tips  of  the  me- 
dium's feet  appear  from  under  her  skirts,  and  I 
asked  her, — 

"  How  could  you  see  the  tips  of  the  medium's 
black  slippers,  in  the  dark  ?  " 

"  I  can  only  say,"  answered  Miss  Hjelt,  "  that 
I  did  see  them,  quite  plainly." 

"  And  can  you  now  see  the  tips  of  your  own 
shoes?"  (for  she  was  then  seated  both  in  the 
medium's  position  and  in  her  chair.) 

"  Certainly,"  she  answered,  "  I  can  see  them 
distinctly."  As  for  myself  I  could  not  see  them 
at  all. 

I  know  from  experience  that  at  dark  seances, 
one  can  only  keep  watch  of  all  that  happens  if 
he  is  seated  close  to  the  medium.  It  is  mani- 
festly owing  to  a  slight  difference  in  distance 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


121 


alone  that  General  Galindo,  (who  sat  next  at 
the  right  of  Miss  Hjelt,)  and  Mr.  Schoultz,  (who 
sat  next  at  the  left  of  Miss  Tavaststjerna,)  saw 
very  little,  and  that  even  what  little  they  saw 
struck  them  as  suspicious.  This  is  especially 
apparent  in  the  narrative  of  the  latter,  who  de- 
rived nothing  but  unfavorable  impressions  from 
the  entire  seance. 

As  Mr.  Schoultz  was  one  of  the  five  persons 
who  had  felt  of  the  medium's  chair,  it  was  very 
desirable  that  I  should  obtain  his  viva  voce  tes- 
timony. I  also  asked  him  to  both  explain  and 
show  me  how  he  had  examined  the  chair.  He 
sat  down  in  the  chair,  moving  a  little  to  one 
side,  and  grasped  one  of  his  hands  with  the 
other,  (as  the  medium  had  grasped  it  with  hers,) 
and  passed  it  about  the  uncovered  part  of  the 
cushion.  Such  an  examination  proved  abso- 
lutely nothing.    So  far,  he  was  perfectly  right. 

He  stated  that  he  had  noticed  several  other 
things  that  he  thought  suspicious,  and  I  therefore 
asked  him  to  submit  a  statement  in  writing, 
without  any  restriction  whatever.  The  reader 
has  seen  this  statement,  together  with  the  criti- 
cisms of  those  to  whom  I  thought  it  my  duty  to 
submit  it.  The  imputations  cast  upon  both  the 
phenomenon  and  the  medium  in  this  narrative 
show  that  the  very  simplest  things  may  arouse 


122     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 

suspicion,  at  a  seance  of  this  nature,  if  the  light 
is  dim  or  if  one  is  not  very  near  the  cabinet.  It 
is  not  to  be  expected  that  the  medium  shall  sit 
motionless  in  an  uncomfortable  chair,  through- 
out  a  seance  lasting  two  or  three  hours;  yet,  if 
she  changes  her  position,  arranges  her  dress,  or 
stretches  her  weary  limbs  —  all  these  things 
awaken  doubts  against  which  she  cannot  defend 
herself. 

I  have  already  stated  that  the  value  of  evi- 
dejice  depends  greatly  upon  the  personal  char- 
acter of  those  by  whom  it  is  given;  and,  in 
this  connection,  I  should  state  the  very  favorable 
opinion  which  I  formed  of  the  four  witnesses 
who  came  forward  to  attest  the  truth  of  the  re- 
markable fact  with  which  we  are  dealing. 

In  Mr.  Seiling  I  recognized  the  man  of  exact 
science,  ready  to  study  any  phenomenon  of  na- 
ture, without  prejudice  and  without  partizanship. 
In  a  preceding  note,  it  is  stated  that  he  is  a  pro- 
fessor of  mechanical  technology,  etc.,  at  the 
Ecole  Polyteclmique^  in  Helsingfors.  He  is, 
therefore,  a  man  accustomed  by  his  profession  to 
mathematical  precision,  to  exact  measures,  and 
to  the  observation  and  study  of  natural  phe- 
nomena, in  the  light  of  mechanics.  But  I  was 
surprised  to  find  a  portrait  of  the  philosopher 
Mainlander  in  his  cabinet  de  travail,  and  told 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION .  123 

Mr.  Selling  that  I  shared  his  admiration  for  the 
works  of  that  scholar,  of  which  I  ha^'e  made  a 
special  study,  published  under  the  title  Ein 
neuer  Messias^^'  (Munich,  1888).  Even  so  far 
as  philosophy  is  concerned,  therefore,  the  trend 
of  Prof.  Selling's  ideas  can  not  be  regarded  as 
favorable  to  spiritualism;  for  ^Nlainlander,  a  pan- 
theist and  disciple  of  Schopenhauer,  is  directly 
opposed  to  all  doctrines  involving  a  belief  in  the 
persistence  of  the  individual  after  death.  Mr. 
Seiling's  participation  in  a  course  of  spiritualistic 
seances,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  was  there- 
fore in  no  way  due  to  any  predisposition  in  favor 
of  these  doctrines  or  phenomena;  his  testimonv 
was  uninfluenced  by  any  interest  for  or  against 
their  reality. 

Madam  Selling  and  Miss  Tavaststjerna  would 
also  rank  as  excellent  witnesses.  Finely  edu- 
cated, of  positive  and  reflecting  minds,  quiet  and 
serious  in  disposition,  every  one  of  their  words 
inspires  confidence.  ■  They  calmly  related  what 
they  had  seen  and  noted;  and  one  felt  that  there 
was  neither  exaggeration,  imagination,  or  pre- 
conceived opinion. 

As  for  Miss  Hjelt,  she  merits  a  more  extended 
introduction  to  my  readers.  I  have  already  stated 
that  I  was  strongly  impressed  by  the  precision 
with  which  she  noted  everything  that  happened 


124     A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


at  the  seance.  Personal  acquaintance  only  raised 
the  high  opinion  that  I  had  formed  of  her.  In 
her,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  a  living  incar- 
nation of  the  human  intelligence  —  active,  prac- 
tical and  wholesome  —  and  this  estimate  was 
fully  confirmed  by  all  the  information  I  received 
about  her.  It  was  she  who  introduced  the  teach- 
ing of  joiner's-work  into  Finland,  and  opened 
a  new  field  of  labor  to  women;  namely,  instruc- 
tion in  carving  on  wood.  In  1885,  she  founded 
a  school  for  instruction  in  wood-carving,  at 
Helsingfors,  and  admitted  both  children  and 
adults  of  either  sex,  thereto,  taken  from  all 
ranks  of  society.  Last  year,  she  founded  a 
steam  factory  for  cabinet  work,  at  Aggeby,  near 
Helsingfors,  where  furniture,  apparatus  for  gym- 
nasiums, tool-handles,  etc.,  are  made.  It  is 
easy  to  see  that  Miss  Hjelt  is  not  one  who 
would  allow  herself  to  be  attracted  to  spiritual- 
ism unless  upon  the  most  uncontrovertible  evi- 
dence. 

One  fact  that  I  consider  very  important  is  that 
these  four  witnesses  had  all  been  present  at 
several  of  Madam  d'Esperance's  seances,  before 
the  one  with  which  we  are  now  concerned;  for 
a  person  who  is  familiar  with  the  kind  and 
manner  of  manifestations  produced,  soon  learns 
to  study  the  weak  and  doubtful  points,  and  to 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  125 

concentrate  all  the  attention  upon  them  so  as  to 
arrive  at  a  definite  conclusion. 

The  following  day,  I  called  upon  General  Top- 
pelius,  to  thank  him  for  the  kind  attention  shown 
in  sendinof  me  the  first  account  of  the  seance  and 
to  ask  him  some  further  questions  about  ^Nladam 
d'Esperance,  who  had  visited  at  his  house.  I 
greatly  regretted  that  ^Nladam  Toppeiius,  ^liss 
Toppelius  and  Capt.  Toppelius,  who  had  all 
been  present  at  this  particular  seance,  were  ab- 
sent from  Helsingfors  at  the  time  of  my  call; 
but  I  most  regretted  my  inability  to  macet  Capt. 
Toppelius,  the  General's  son  and  one  of  the  most 
important  witnesses  to  the  dematerialization,  as 
shown  b}'  his  testimony. 

Next,  I  called  upon  General  Sederholm,  with 
whom  I  had  some  previous  acquaintance. 

Some  years  before,  he  had  done  me  the  honor 
to  call  upon  me,  on  account  of  his  admiration 
for  the  works  of  Andrew  Jackson  Davis,  and  to 
thank  me  for  producing  them  in  German.  It  is 
a  peculiar  coincidence  that,  in  this  very  instance. 
Madam  d'Esperance  came  to  Helsingfors  in  com- 
pliance with  his  urgent  and  repeated  requests. 
Indeed,  the  General  went  to  Gottenburg  in  per- 
son, to  urge  her  to  come.  But  the  prospect  of 
giving  seances  before  strangers,  of  difierent 
nationality  and  wholly  unacquainted  with  spirit- 


126     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


ualism,  had  little  attraction  for  her.  Besides, 
her  absence  from  Gottenburg,  which  would  be 
at  least  a  month  long,  (to  wit,  the  whole  of 
October  or  November,)  would  be  very  detri- 
mental to  certain  business  interests  which  had 
been  confided  to  her  hands.  In  short,  Madam 
d'Esperance  could  not  be  persuaded  to  accept 
the  invitation,  until  an  event  occurred  which 
changed  her  resolution.  She  wrote  me  as  fol- 
lows, on  August  26th,  1893:  — 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  a  visit 
from  General  Sederholm,  a  short  while  ago. 
He  proved  very  congenial  and  we  enjoyed  his 
stay  very  much,  short  as  it  was.  He  wished  us 
to  hold  some  seances,  but  they  could  not  be 
arranged  just  then;  for  no  one  was  at  home  but 
myself,  and  I  was  not  very  well.  He  has  sent 
us  some  articles  which  he  has  published  on 
spiritualism,  and  in  the  Swedish  language.  It 
was  a  great  surprise  to  us  to  learn  that  he  had 
pursued  the  study  so  far;  and  I  was  as  sorry  as 
I  was  annoyed  that  I  had  not  accorded  him  my 
hearty  cooperation  in  his  researches,  when  he 
was  here.  I  really  regret  it  very  much,  and  I 
shall  try  to  make  up  for  it  as  soon  as  I  can." 

And  a  little  later,  on  the  27th  of  September, 
Madam  d'Esperance  wrote  me : 

"  The  date  for  my  visit  to  Helsingfors  is  not 


A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATIOX.  127 

yet  set,  as  it  is  vGvy  difficult  for  me  to  get  away. 
However,  I  feel  that  I  have  no  right  to  neglect 
such  an  opportunity  to  work  for  the  cause;  for  I 
can  not  tell  how  lono-  I  shall  be  here,  to  labor  in 
this  held  ;  and  I  should  be  very  unhappy  if  I  had 
occasion  to  reproach  myself  that  I  had  not  done 
all  that  I  could." 

And  ao'ain,  October  nth: 

'*  I  wrote  General  Sederholm,  one  or  two  days 
aofo.  and  told  him  that  I  was  verv  sorrv  that  I  had 
refused  him  my  help,  when  he  was  here;  but 
that  I  am  now  at  his  disposition.  ^ly  conscience 
is  easy,  at  last." 

Thus  it  happened  that  ^Nladam  d'Esperance 
came  to  Helsingfors  and  was  repaid  by  an  insult- 
ingly injurious  article,  contributed  by  General 
Sederholm  to  the  most  important  newspaper  of 
Helsingfors.  in  which  he  plainly  insinuated  that 
Madam  d'Esperance  herself  played  the  part  of 
the  spirits.  Love  of  truth  blinded  the  General 
even  so  far  that  he  forgot  the  fundamental  rules 
of  hospitality;  so  far  that  he  hurled  at  this  most 
distinguished  lady  a  foul  insult,  repeated  over  his 
name  in  all  the  journals;  —  without  considering 
that  Madam  d'Esperance  is  not  a  professional 
medium,  and  that  she  came  to  Helsingfors  at  his 
own  solicitation,  to  give  a  few  private  sittings  to 
certain  persons  interested  in  the  subject.  When 


128     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


he  made  his  request.  General  Sederhohn  prob- 
ably expected  something  very  different  from 
seances.  Fascinated  by  the  accounts  of  the 
marvelous  seances  which  Madam  d'Esperance 
had  given  at  Christiania,  he  hoped  to  obtain  the 
same  results,  without  taking  into  consideration 
all  the  careful  preparation  made  by  the  Christi- 
ania  Circle,  in  order  to  accomplish  those  results. 

No  subject  is  more  complex,  less  understood, 
or  more  liable  to  mistake,  than  this  subject  of 
materialization.  Only  by  long  experience,  under 
exceptional  conditions,  have  we  been  compelled 
to  acknowledge  the  phenomena  as  genuine,  au- 
thentic, real.  We  may,  however,  know  the  fact 
and  yet  be  far  from  able  to  explain  it.  A  much 
longer  study  and,  (generally  speaking,)  a  much 
more  profound  personal  knowledge  of  spiritual- 
ism, is  necessary,  before  it  can  be  proved  that 
fraud  has  attended  us,  step  by  step,  from  the  first 
simple  rap  to  the  complex  phenomena  of  ma- 
terialization. If  delusion  and  mistake  have  been 
and  still  are  the  constant  experience  of  human 
science  in  the  study  of  the  physical  phenomena 
of  nature,  we  should  look  for  still  more  illusion  in 
the  domain  of  psychic  research.  For  thousands 
of  years  we  believed  in  the  rising  and  the  setting 
of  the  sun;  but  how  long  have  we  understood 
the  fact,  hidden  beneath  the  appearance?  The 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  129 

same  with  spiritualism.  We  have  seen  its  phe- 
nomena for  half  a  century,  and  they  will  doubt- 
less be  studied  for  future  centuries  ;  but  when 
shall  they  be  fully  understood? 

The  more  world-wise  men  are,  the  more  sus- 
picious they  become,  as  to  the  theory,  and  espe- 
cially as  to  the  doctrine,  of  spiritualism.  But  the 
young,  the  simple-hearted,  the  disappointed,  the 
afflicted  and  the  suffering,  —  these  welcome  it 
with  open  arms.  In  this  very  way  was  Gen- 
eral Sederholm  driven  to  attend  these  seances 
—  he  was  heart-hungry,  more  than  an\'thing 
else.  He  longed  for  consolation,  but  did  not 
wish  to  make  a  personal  investigation  of  the 
phenomena;  therefore,  his  disappointment  was 
intense.  The  w^orthy  General  expected  his  re- 
cently deceased  daughter  to  appear  at  once; 
whereas  he  only  saw  the  double  of  the  medium, 
which  borrowed  the  name  of  his  eldest  daughter. 
Written  communications  —  things  so  common 
as  to  be  of  almost  daily  occurrence  in  spiritual- 
ism—  furnish  innumerable  instances  of  just  such 
personitications.  The  General  had  probably  often 
received  communications  of  that  kind,  but  he 
had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  denounce  the 
mediums  by  whom  the}'  were  wa-itten,  as  frauds. 
A  deceptive  note,  or  a  false  appearance,  is  less 
upsetting  than  a  fraud  in  human  form! 


130     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 

It  seems  that  the  General  was  utterly  unfa- 
miliar with  what  has  been  told  and  published  by 
spirits,  touching  the  philosophy  of  materializa- 
tions, which  generally  are  the  double  of  medium. 
The  materialized  form  may  exactly  resemble 
the  medium,  yet  this  is  not  the  slightest  proof  of 
fraud  on  the  medium's  part.  The  General  did 
not  even  know  this!  Actuated  by  a  pardonable 
motive,  but  with  an  acrimony  which  is  inexcus- 
able when  we  consider  that  a  seance  should  be 
a  deliberate  and  dispassionate  investigation,  he 
hurriedly  published  his  article,  impeaching  the 
honor  of  Madam  d'Esperance.  This  article 
drew  forth  an  indignant  protest  from  those  who 
had  had  an  opportunity  to  observe  the  facts 
directly  contradictory  of  the  General's  accusa- 
tions; but  the  protest  was  localized  at  Helsing- 
fors,  while  the  calumny  spread  over  the  entire 
world  without  refutation.  My  conversation  with 
the  General  satisfied  me  that  he  was  utterly  in- 
competent to  judge  of  such  matters.  When  I 
had,  as  briefly  as  possible,  explained  the  theory 
of  materialization,  as  it  is  outlined  in  Chapter 
First,  and  had  told  him  of  my  experience  with 
Katie  King,  it  had  the  eifect  of  a  revelation  on 
him;  and  yet  he  said  that  he  possessed  my  book, 
Animisme  et  Spiritisnie! 

I  next  called  upon  General  Galindo,  whom  I 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION .  131 


had  known  for  many  years.  He  had  been  my 
trayelling  companion  when  I  w^ent  to  Gotten- 
burg  in  1890.  He,  too,  was  led  to  inyestigate 
spiritualism  by  heart-ache,  loneliness,  need  of 
comfort  and  help,  among  the  bitter  experiences 
of  life.  He  took  part,  at  that  time,  in  some  of 
my  seances  with  Madam  d'Esperance,  but  did 
not  obtain  all  that  he  longed  for.  As  he  was  still 
interested  in  the  subject,  he  naturally  attended 
the  seances  at  Helsingfors.  Knowing  that  he 
was  a  skeptical  obseryer,  but  that  his  was  an 
honest  skepticism,  I  asked  him  to  keep  me  in- 
formed of  all  that  occurred,  and  he  did  so;  but 
he  saw  nothing  decisiye,  on  account  of  the  want 
of  light,  and  eyen  the  absolute  darkness  which 
]Madam  d'Esperance  w^as  sometimes  so  foolishly 
good-natured  as  to  permit  at  the  request  of  those 
present,  when  they  wanted  to  make  the  manifes- 
tations more  intense  by  contrast —  as  if  they  w^ere 
not  sufficiently  prejudiced  by  the  ineyitable  in- 
harmony  of  a  mixed  assemblage  of  beginners! 
When  I  asked  General  Galindo  about  the  seance, 
he  said  that  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  not  see 
anything.  As  he,  too,  expressed  some  doubt,  I 
asked  him  to  put  his  yersion  of  the  affair  in 
writing,  without  the  slightest  reserye;  but  he 
has  not  done  so,  as  the  reader  already  knows. 
To  finish  my  inyestigation,  nothing  remained 


132     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


but  to  call  on  a  few  witnesses,  especially  the 
rest  of  the  five  persons  who  had  examined  the 
medium's  chair.  These  were  Dr.  Hertzberg 
and  Mr.  Boldt.  Thanks  to  the  kind  offices 
of  Prof  Selling,  both  these  gentlemen  called 
upon  me  at  my  hotel  the  same  evening.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Selling,  Miss  Hjelt  and  Miss  Tavast- 
stjerna  joined  us  there,  and  we,  all  together,  dis- 
cussed the  remarkable  phenomenon,  pi'o  and 
con. 

In  compliance  with  my  request,  Dr.  Hertzberg 
showed  me  exactly  how  he  had  felt  of  the  chair 
in  which  Madam  d'Esperance  was  seated  at  the 
time  of  the  dematerialization.  He  passed  his 
hands  all  over  the  seat,  clear  to  the  back;  and 
when,  hardly  believing  my  eyes,  I  repeated  the 
question,  "What!  are  you  sure  that  you  felt  all 
over  the  seat  with  your  hands?"  he  answered, 
"  Yes,  exactly  as  I  have  shown  you." 

"  And  did  you  give  Madam  d'Esperance  a 
drink  while  she  was  in  that  condition?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  her  head,  arms  and  bust  appear  as  they 
would  if  she  were  seated  in  the  chair?" 

"Certainly;  though,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  did 
not  observe  the  fact  with  the  critical  attention 
that  it  merited.  Remember  that  I  did  not,  at 
the  time,  appreciate  that  the  phenomenon  was 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL    DE MATERI ALIZATION.  133 


serious  and  veridical.  You  can  easily  under- 
stand my  position." 

''Did  you  not  feel  sure  that,  if  you  put  your 
hand  behind  the  chair,  you  would  find  nobody 
and  nothing  there  ?  *' 

''I  did.  in  fiict,  think  that  I  ought  to  put  my 
hand  behind  it;  but  for  the  very  reason  I  have 
cj^iven,  I  did  not  do  so.'' 

In  the  long  conversation  vrhich  ensued,  Dr. 
Hertzberg  gave  me  manv  particulars  of  seances 
with  ?vladam  d'Esperance,  at  which  he  had  been 
present.  ^Nlanv  of  the  manifestations  were  as 
convincing  as  they  were  wonderful,  because  he 
had  positive  proof  of  the  simultaneous  presence 
of  the  medium  and  the  materialized  form.  As 
to  some  other  matters,  he  appeared  still  doubt- 
ful. For  instance,  he  had  discovered  that  some- 
times the  medium's  bodv  was  not  in  the  chair 
where  they  thought  it  was;  but  he  added  that 
reflection  had  obliged  him  to  confess  that  this 
was  no  evidence  of  fraud  on  the  medium's  part. 

^Ir.  Boldt  could  give  me  no  detinite  informa- 
tion, for  he  had  examined  the  chair  very  hastily 
and  imperfectly.  All  that  he  could  say  was  that 
there  was  nothing  suspicious  in  the  appearance 
of  the  medium,  or  that  indicated  that  she  had 
risen  from  her  chair. 

I  did  not  succeed  in  meeting  ]\Ir.  Lonnbom, 


134     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DExMATERlALIZATION. 

but  I  asked  Dr.  Hertzberg,  who  introduced  him 
into  the  circle,  to  prevail  upon  him  to  give  me 
a  written  account.  As  the  reader  knows,  he 
did  not  succeed. 

The  next  day  I  returned  to  St.  Petersburg, 
more  than  satisfied  with  the  result  of  my  inves- 
tigation, and  congratulating  myself  that  I  had 
enjoyed  a  respite  from  illness,  long  enough  to 
accomplish  it. 

To  what  conclusion  does  the  evidence  then 
point?  Before  answering  that  question,  let  us 
sum  up  the  arguments  both  for  and  against  the 
authenticity  of  the  phenomena: 

I.  The  first  objection  raised  is  that  Madam 
d'Esperance  herself  guided  the  hands  of  those 
who  examined  the  chair,  and  that  therefore  the 
investigation  was  restricted. 

No  doubt  this  is  a  serious  objection.  But 
suppose  we  put  ourselves  for  a  moment  in  the 
place  of  Madam  d'Esperance,  and  admit  the 
o^enuineness  of  the  manifestation.  Would  one 
be  able  to  act  coolly  and  judiciously,  at  such  a 
time?  Ihe  unexpectedness  and  strangeness  of 
the?  experience,  with  its  accompanying  fear, 
would  probably  give  rise  to  unspeakable  fright 
and  mental  disturbance.  It  was  a  question  of 
life  or  death.  Can  we  form  any  idea  of  the 
nervous  excitement  and  panic  which  Madam 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION.  135 


crEsperance  endured?  It  was  such  that  she 
"  did  not  care  very  much  what  she  did,  at  the 
time."  And  if,  on  the  one  hand,  we  consider 
the  great  distress  which  she  felt  at  the  least 
pressure  on  "  what  might  }'et  be  in  fact  a  part 
of  her  own  body** —  (a  pain  which  she  herself 
compares  to  that  of  a  naked  nerve,  roughly 
touched;)  — and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  delicate 
and  difficult  position  of  a  lady  permitting  gentle- 
men to  approach  and  establish  the  disappearance 
of  her  limbs  and  knees,  it  will  seem  only  natural 
that  Madam  d'Esperance  took  their  hands  and 
guided  them  while  they  were  examining  the 
chair  upon  which  she  was  seated.  The  real 
wonder  is  that  she  retained  enough  presence  of 
mind  to  realize  all  the  importance  of  the  phe- 
nomenon and  to  provide  us  with  such  proof  as 
was  possible,  under  the  circumstances. 

^Moreover,  this  objection,  such  as  it  is,  abso- 
lutely disappears  before  the  positive  affirmation 
of  Prof.  Seilino-  and  Dr.  Hertzbero-:  who,  al- 
though  their  hands  were  guided,  felt  all  over  the 
surface  of  the  seat,  even  to  the  back  of  the  chair. 

2.  The  second  objection  is  that  none  of  the 
witnesses  made  sure,  by  sight  and  feeling,  that 
there  was  no  one  behind  the  medium's  chair, 
during  the  disappearance  of  her  limbs. 

This  objection  would  be  serious,  if  it  were 


136     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


not  absolutely  refuted  by  the  concordant  testi- 
mony of  six  persons;  two  of  whom,  (Prof.  Sell- 
ing and  Dr.  Hertzberg,)  declare  that  they  saw 
Madam  d'Esperance  in  the  chair  while  they 
made  their  examination,  and  one  of  whom, 
(Capt.  Toppelius,)  asserts  that  not  only  did  he 
see  the  entire  upper  part  of  the  medium's  body 
in  the  chair  but  also  felt  it,  with  both  his  hands, 
from  the  shoulders  to  the  lowest  point  remain- 
ing, "  down  both  sides."  '  How  could  anything 
more  plain  be  asked  for?  But  we  have  the  fur- 
ther evidence  of  three  observers,  (Madam  Sell- 
ing, Miss  Hjelt  and  Miss  Tavaststjerna,)  that 
they  saw  the  medium  in  the  chair  during  the 
entire  seance,  and  especially  during  the  dema- 
terialization;  and  among  other  things,  they 
noticed  that  her  dress  hung  vertically  from  the 
edge  of  the  seat,  and  later,  that  it  again  filled 
out,  without  the  medium's  moving.  The  ac- 
counts of  those  who  did  not  see  any  of  these 
thinof-s  could  in  no  event  detract  from  the  weisfht 
of  declarations  so  positive  and  explicit,  by  those 
who  did  see  the  occurrences. 

3.  The  third  objection  is  that  such  a  disap- 
pearance of  half  of  a  living  bod}^,  involving  the 

'  If  the  medium  were  sta^iding,  (whether  behind  her  chair  or 
anywhere  else,)  how  could  any  one  "  come  to  an  empty  space,"  in 
passing  his  hands  down  along  the  sides  of  her  body?  —  Trans- 
lator. 


A   CASE    OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  137 

disappearance  of  flesh,  bones  and  blood,  for  full 
fifteen  minutes,  is  an  impossibility,  an  anomaly, 
an  absurdity.  How  could  the  other  half  of  the 
body  live,  speak  and  drink  water,  in  such  a 
state,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  ? 

I  fully  comprehend  the  force  of  this  objection, 
and  all  that  seems  physiologically  extravagant 
in  the  admission  of  such  a  possibility.  But,  in 
the  light  of  ordinary  experience,  all  the  phe- 
nom.ena  of  spiritualism  are  impossibilities,  and 

—  as  many  are  fond  of  reiterating — in  direct 
opposition  to  the  eternal  laws  of  nature.  Spon- 
taneous movements  of  material  objects,  the  in- 
stantaneous apparition  of  perfectly  plastic  hands 

—  all  these  are  perfect  absurdities,  utter  impossi- 
bilities. To  this,  spiritualism  can  answer  nothing, 
unless  it  be  that  these  facts  are  established  by 
the  testimony  of  thousands  of  persons,  and  that 
they  should  be  calmly  studied. 

As  for  the  present  case,  the  only  objection  of 
any  weight  is  that  this  particular  manifestation 
is  unique.  That  is  true,  but  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  we  shall  have  frequent  opportunities  to 
study  such  phenomena,  in  the  future. 

After  these  objections,  which  I  consider  suffi- 
ciently answered,  it  is  but  fair  to  claim  a  hear- 
ing for  the  following  considerations,  in  support 
of  the  phenomenon. 


138     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


1.  One  fact  which  I  deem  very  important  is 
the  concordance  of  this  phenomenon  with  the 
general  spiritualistic  theory  of  materialization, 
and  with  the  special  facts  and  theories  developed 
with  Chapter  First.  If  Madam  d'Esperance  had 
simply  perpetrated  a  joke,  we  might  expect  to 
find  it  at  variance  with  all  previous  observations 
and  all  spiritualistic  doctrines.  The  miracle 
would  have  found  no  support,  either  in  history 
or  logic,  and  would  have  been  simply  ridicu- 
lous. If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  phenomenon  is 
genuine,  it  should  appear  to  be  ''^  in  the  line  of 
development''  of  the  principle,  as  Monsieur  du 
Prel  has  expressed  it;  and  so,  in  fact,  it  is. 

2.  In  the  case  before  us,  the  best  evidence  of 
the  entire  good  faith  of  Madam  d'Esperance  lies 
in  the  fact  that,  doubting  her  own  senses  and 
suspicious  of  self-delusion,  she  made  no  an- 
nouncement of  her  strange  discovery.  It  was 
not  she  w^ho  cried,  "My  limbs  are  gone,"  as  Mr. 
Schoultz  claims,  but  she  immediately  called  Mr. 
Selling,  without  saying  one  word  as  to  what  had 
happened,  and  asked  him  to  examine  the  chair 
and  say  if  she  was  really  seated  therein.  It  is 
another  significant  fact  that,  by  thus  making 
known  to  the  others  what  had  occurred  —  real 
and  serious  as  it  was  for  her,  but  which  those 
others  might  think  only  a  trick — and  by  invit- 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  139 


ino'  an  examination  on  the  instant,  she  put  her- 
self at  the  mercy  of  those  others  and  burned  her 
bridgres  behind  her.  For,  certainly,  if  she  wished 
to  perpetrate  a  hoax;  if  she  was  expert  enough 
to  slip  behind  the  chair  without  being  seen,  at  a 
moment  when  no  one's  attention  was  upon  her, 
(as  General  Sederholm  declares,)  she  would 
know  that  after  she  had  drawn  the  attention  of 
the  witnesses,  and  especially  of  those  nearest 
her,  upon  herself,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
recover  her  seat  without  exposure.  If  she  had 
thought  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the  company  by 
any  such  trick,  she  would  surely  have  betrayed 
herself. 

3.  My  investigation,  conducted  on  the  spot, 
procured  me  among  other  things  certain  evidence 
which,  though  silent,  is  eloquent  in  denial  of 
any  such  fraud.  These  are  the  purely  physical 
conditions  of  the  situation  in  which  the  trick 
must  have  been  played.  In  fact,  the  sitters  at 
her  right  and  left  were  so  very  close  to  the  me- 
dium that  her  passing  to  the  rear  of  the  chair 
without  knocking  against  their  feet  Avas  a  physi- 
cal i nipossibility.  Besides,  the  medium  must 
have  risen,  to  accomplish  the  change  of  position 
in  question;  and  the  witnesses  are  united  upon 
the  point  that  the  medium  never  quitted  the  sit- 
ting posture,  which  she  had  taken  at  the  open- 


140     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


ing  of  the  seance.  Any  such  motion  woulc 
have  been  readily  noticed,  because  of  the  me- 
dium's white  dress  and  the  proximity  of  the  sit- 
ters. 

4.  Nor  can  I  suffer  one  of  my  personal  obser- 
vations, to  which  I  attach  great  weight,  to  pass 
unnoticed. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  a  fact  that  Madam 
d'Esperance  never  drinks  water,  either  at  or  be- 
tween meals.  She  drinks  it  only  at  materializ- 
ing seances,  but  at  these  she  drinks  a  great  deal. 
I  know  this  both  from  her  own  statements  and 
from  my  own  observations,  when  she  has  stayed 
at  my  house.  Many  know  that  a  carafe  of  water 
is  required  at  each  of  her  seances.  Many  also 
know  that  just  when  the  seances  are  at  their 
best  and  when  the  materializations  are  most  suc- 
cessful, she  drinks  most,  and  that  she  generally 
drinks  after  each  appearance  of  an  entire  form; 
but  few  know  that,  except  at  these  seances,  she 
never  drinks  water.  To  me,  the  fact  that  she 
drank  the  water  during  the  very  quarter  of  an 
hour  for  which  part  of  her  body  disappeared,  is 
itself  proof  that  a  veritable  dematerialization  oc- 
curred simultaneously.  For  it  is  manifest  that 
the  materializations  which  occur  at  her  seances 
are  regularly  accompanied  by  dematerialization 
of  her  body,  but  that  she  is  seldom  conscious  of 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  141 

it;  and  that  this  intense  thirst,  precisely  concur- 
rent with  the  phenomenon,  is  caused  by  the 
enormous  loss  of  vital  fluids,  which  doubtless 
takes  place  in  her  body,  at  such  times. 

5.  Finally,  we  must  remember  the  nervous 
tension,  as  well  as  the  fright  and  distress,  which 
Madam  d'Esperance  suffered  during  those  mani- 
festations, of  which  she  herself  tells  us  and  as  to 
which  she  is  confirmed  by  those  who  watched 
her  closely — as  well  as  her  extreme  nervous 
depression,  after  the  seance,  with  which  even 
General  Sederholm  was  struck.  Was  this,  too, 
but  a  well-played  comedy?  And  if  so,  for  what 
purpose?^  Materializations  are  not,  ordinarily, 
accompanied  by  suffering.  I  do  not  believe  that 
any  one  can  read  the  perfectly  simple  narrative 
of  Madam  d'Esperance,  without  being  impressed 
w^ith  her  sincerity.  And  when  she  says,  "My 
nervousness  and  fright  augmented  every  minute, 
to  such  a  degree  that  I  became  terribly  ill,"  I 
believe  it. 

During  my  stay  in  Gottenburg,  I  came  to  know 
Madam  d'Esperance  for  a  profoundly  sincere 

^  Remember,  also,  that  when,  after  the  seance,  she  -was  found  in  a 
state  of  ahiiost  nervous  prostration,  not  a  doubt  of  the  genuineness 
of  the  dematerialization  had  been  expressed  by  any  one.  She, 
therefore,  had  no  anxiety  on  that  score,  to  account  for  her  nervous- 
ness. She  did  not  know  that  any  one  was  suspicious. — Trans- 
lator. 


142     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


and  truthful  woman;  nor  have  I  the  slightest 
reason  to  doubt  anything  that  she  says  of  this 
extraordinary  case. 

Writing  as  I  do,  a  whole  year  after  the  event, 
I  cannot  ignore  the  unfortunate  results  of  that 
seance,  upon  her  health  in  general  and  upon  her 
mediumistic  powers  in  particular.  So  serious 
were  the  consequences  that  she  lost  every  trace 
of  her  mediumship,  except  simple  writing.  This 
lasted  for  three  months,  and  she  supposed  that  it 
was  gone  forever.  The  shock  to  her  nerves  was 
so  great,  that  Madam  d'Esperance  could  not,  in 
all  that  time,  take  up  the  business  affairs  that 
she  had  laid  aside  to  go  to  Helsingfors;  the 
slightest  mental  labor  exceeded  her  powers. 

Her  visit  to  Bavaria  seemed  to  do  her  good, 
but  no  sooner  had  she  returned  than  she  was 
prostrated  again.  This  very  real  illness  did  not 
enter  into  the  considerations  of  Messrs.  Seder- 
holm  &  Company!  Madam  d'Esperance  had 
come  and  orone.  The  dematerialization  was 
nothing  but  a  clever  hoax,  an  amusing  recollec- 
tion. But  for  Madam  d'Esperance,  the  first- 
fruits  of  the  so-called  hoax  were  a  long  and 
painful  reality.  As  for  me,  knowing  of  the  tor- 
tures which  she  endured,  I  did  not  see  how  I 
could  suffer  them  to  pass  in  silence,  and  I  saw 
in  them  the  most  convincing  proof  that  the  de- 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  143 


materialization  was  something  other  than  a 
pleasantry. 

And  now,  summing  up  the  data,  I  am  com- 
pelled to  decide  that  the  evidence  in  favor  of  the 
genuineness  of  the  dematerialization  outweighs 
the  evidence  against  its  genuineness,  and  that  a 
veritable  phenomenon  was  produced. 

I  perfectly  understand  that  the  fact  appears 
fabulous,  incredible,  even  to  ics^  spiritualists^ 
without  speaking  of  those  outsiders  who  take 
me  for  all  manners  of  a  fool  ;  but  if  we  admit  the 
phenomenon  of  materialization  —  and,  to  us  it  is 
an  indisputable  fact  —  the  phenomenon  of  de- 
materialization  is  its  undeniable  logical  conse- 
quence. 

My  deductions  in  Chapter  First,  from  the  ma- 
terialization of  Katie  King,  seem  to  me  perfectly 
logical  and  justifiable,  and  strike  the  keynote  of 
the  logical  possibility  of  the  phenomenon  dealt 
with  herein.  Why,  then,  are  we  so  loth  to  ad- 
mit it?  Simply  because  any  extraordinary  phe- 
nomenon is  always  more  acceptable  if  presented 
as  a  logical  demonstration  than  vrhen  we  see  it 
with  our  own  eyes  and  touch  it  with  our  own 
hands. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  LETTERS  OF  THE  MEDIUM,  CON- 
CERNING HER  CONDITION,  AFTER  THE  SEANCE 
AT  HELSINGFORS. 

I  think  it  expedient  to  add  to  the  force  of  what 
has  gone  before,  by  giving  the  following  extracts 
from  letters  written  to  me  by  Madam  d'Esperance. 
We  here  see,  as  in  a  mirror,  an  exact  picture  of 
her  mental  and  physical  condition,  throughout 
the  last  year. 

GoTTENBURG,  January  7th,  1894. 

The  Christiania  seances,  of  which  I  have  told 
you,  are  not  yet  arranged,  for  I  have  not  re- 
covered my  mediumistic  powers  since  the  last 
seance  in  Finland.  Many  people,  if  in  my  place, 
would  prefer  not  to  have  them  return  at  all,  for 
they  certainly  cause  me  much  trouble  and  many 
indignities. 

That  makes  little  difference  to  me,  for  no  one 
is  dependent  upon  me;  but  all  this  newspaper 

^  A  new  series  was  to  have  commenced  January  12th,  1894,  in  ac- 
cordance with  an  invitation  which  she  had  previously  accepted. 

A.A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  145 


notoriety  and  the  malevolent  articles  reflect  even 
upon  those  who  espouse  my  cause.  Mr.  Fidler 
and  his  family  are  included  in  the  hostility  and 
insults  which  seem  fated  to  attend  me.  This  not 
only  pains  them,  but  operates  to  their  pecuniary 
injury  as  well,  because  many  dislike  to  continue 
business  relations  with  people  so  closely  asso- 
ciated with  an  imposter,  such  as  I. 

I  have  felt  very  well  since  my  return  from 
Finland;  but  a  singular  sense  of  loss,  which  I 
cannot  shake  off,  disturbs  and  oppresses  me.  1 
do  not  know  what  I  have  lost,  unless  it  is  my 
mediumship,  but  the  feeling  is  depressing  and 
strange.  I  still  think  my  power  will  return,  but 
it  makes  very  little  difference  whether  I  wish  it 
or  not! 


GoTTEXBURG,  January  30th,  1894. 

My  mediumship  is  not  restored!  I  have  tried 
several  experiments  for  the  purpose  of  finding 
out  —  more  from  a  sense  of  duty  than  for  any 
other  reason  ;  for  the  possession  brings  no  benefit 
to  any  one,  in  compensation  for  the  trials  which 
it  causes  everyone. 

Perhaps  it  is  unfortunate  that  the  Christiania 

*  Mr.  Fidler  is  the  head  of  the  great  mercantile  concern  at  Gotten- 
burg,  in  which  Madam  d'Esperance  is  employed,  —  A. A. 


146     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


seances  are  spoiled*  If  I  am  ever  in  condition  to 
do  so,  I  shall  keep  the  promise  I  made  them; 
but  perhaps  they  may  be  better  off,  as  it  is. 

I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  obtain  complete  and 
satisfactory  confirmation  of  the  manifestations  at 
the  last  Helsingfors  seance;  for  it  will  be  too 
bad  if  I  have  lost  both  my  mediumship  and  my 
health,  without  any  benefit.  I  believe  that  allow- 
ing so  many  people  to  examine  me,  disarranged 
my  entire  nervous  system  and  caused  all  the 
damage.  .  .  . 

I  cannot  say  that  I  am  exactly  sick;  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  I  am  far  from  well,  and  I  suffer 
all  imaginable  pains  when  I  make  the  slightest 
attempt  at  reasoning.  I  could  remain  for  hours, 
doing  absolutely  nothing,  if  I  were  permitted  to 
do  so;  but  there  is  too  much  to  be  done  to  allow 
such  idleness.  .  .  . 


GoTTENBURG,  February  6th,  1894. 

...  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  clear  up  the 
last  seance,  at  least  to  a  degree.  I  never  ex- 
pected to  expend  so  much  energy  and  labor  to 
obtain  satisfactory  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  a 
phenomenon,  as  I  have  expended  in  this  last 
case.  And  when  I  think  how  difficult  it  is  to 
obtain  positive  proof  of  the  most  ordinary  occur- 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION.  147 

rences,  even  when  there  is  no  real  or  serious 
doubt,  I  should  be  astonished  if  it  was  not  very 
hard  to  prove  our  case.  In  any  event,  I  shall 
always  regret  that  this  occurred  before  mere 
neophytes,  such  as  those  at  Helsingfors.  I  see 
no  signs  of  returning  mediumship,  3^et.  .  .  . 


GoTTENBURG,  March  4,  1894. 
It  will  interest  you  to  know  that  I  held  a  seance, 
a  week  ago,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Nordmark,  pres- 
ident of  the  Psycho-Physical  Society.  There 
was  ample  proof  that  my  mediumistic  powers 
have,  to  a  certain  extent,  returned.  We  received 
a  communication  by  raps,  which  has  since  been 
confirmed;  something  like  the  Stromberg  case.' 


GoTTENBURG,  March  5th,  1894. 
.  .  .  With  the  improvement  in  my  health,  my 
mediumship  seems  to  be  restored.    A  circle  had 
been  organized,  to  sit  at  Mr.  Nordmark's  house, 
at  10  o'clock,  A.M.    It  was  perfectly  successful. 


Partenkirchen  f Haute- Bavarie 
April  6th,  1894. 
.  .  .  You  will  be  surprised  to  receive  a  letter 

^  See  Psychische  Studien,  January  number,  1894.  — A. A. 


148     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


from  this  strange  corner  of  the  world.  One  of 
my  dearest  friends,  the  Baronne  de  Z  — ,  has  long 
wanted  me  to  make  her  a  visit,  but  I  was  not  well 
enough  to  attempt  the  journey.  As  soon  as  I 
was  sufficiently  recovered,  she  came  for  me,  and 
—  here  we  are !  .  .  . 

I  have  not  given  any  one  my  address,  for  I 
wished  to  avoid  applications  for  seances.  For  the 
nonce,  I  am  nothing  but  a  female  artist;  at  least, 
until  my  strength  is  fully  regained.  And  as  I  am 
now  sure  that  my  mediumship  is  not  lost,  I  can 
afford  to  wait  patiently  and  let  it  recover  from 
the  shock  it  has  sustained.  .  .  . 


Partenkirchen,  April  26th,  1894. 

...  I  feel  quite  well  and  quite  strong  again. 
Perhaps  it  was  only  the  intense  heat  that  made 
me  feel  so  weak.  ... 


GoTTENBURG,  January  23rd,  1894. 

...  I  returned  a  month  since,  to  enable  the 
cashier  of  the  house  to  take  her  vacation.  I  am 
now  feeling  much  more  comfortable.  My  stay 
in  Bavaria  has  produced  the  best  results,  although 
it  seemed  enervating,  at  first.  .  .  . 


A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZ ATIOX .  149 

GoTTEXBURG,  October  20th.  1S94. 

.  .  .  Since  I  wrote  you  that  I  was  well  again, 
it  has  proved  that  I  did  so  prematurely;  for  I  had 
scarce  returned  when  I  began  to  be  sensible  of 
the  mistake  I  had  made,  in  leaving  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Alps  so  soon.  In  fact,  the  moment 
that  I  attempted  to  take  up  my  accustomed  du- 
ties, I  found  that  I  was  utterly  unfit  for  work,  and 
up  to  the  present  time,  I  have  not  been  able  to 
discharge  them.  I  left  my  bed,  today,  for  the 
first  time  since  the  beginning  of  September.  ]My 
physician  has  told  me.  only  today,  that  I  must 
not  remain  in  Sweden  this  winter,  but  that  I  must 
go  south  as  quickly  as  possible.  This  is  a  great 
disappointment  to  me.  I  wanted  to  resume  my 
work.  .  .  . 


Villa  Clarexzia,  . 
Montreux,  Switzerland, 
December  29th,  1894. 

.  .  .  As  you  see,  I  am  in  Switzerland,  in  search 
of  health.  Not  that  I  am  very  ill.  but  a  mere 
nothing  startles  and  completely  unnerves  me. 

.  .  .  Yes,  this  is  the  consequence  of  that  last 
seance,  which  has  spoiled  a  w^hole  year  of  mv  life. 
My  entire  nervous  system  has  sufi'ered.  At  the 
slightest  chill,  o^  if  I  do  not  follow  the  prescribed 


150     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION . 


7xgime^  serious  illness  follows.  I  felt  so  much 
better  this  summer,  after  my  long  absence,  that  I 
returned  to  my  work;  but  after  an  experiment  of 
a  few  days,  I  found  myself  as  ill  as  before,  and 
discovered  that  I  could  do  nothing  requiring 
thoughtful  calculation.  I  was  forced  to  lay  my 
painting  aside  entirely.  .  .  .  Except  for  these 
things,  I  am  pretty  well.  I  have  a  fair  appetite, 
and  sleep  well,  and  am  able  to  be  about.  .  .  . 

My  hair  has  not  returned  to  its  natural  color.' 
In  front,  and  at  the  top  of  the  head,  the  hair  is 
almost  white,  and  the  rest  is  black  ;  but  I  fancy 
that  the  new  hair,  that  grows  in  as  the  old  falls 
out,  is  darker.  It  grows  white,  however,  as  soon 
as  I  have  headaches,  and  I  have  these  upon  the 
slightest  occasion.  .  .  . 

'  It  had  grown  white  after  the  seance  at  Helsingfors,  Vide  Psy. 
Stud.,  October  number,  1894.  — A. A. 


CHAPTER  \ 


PERSONAL  ACCOUXT.  BY  THE  ATEDIUM.  OF  HER 
COXDITIOX  DURIXG  A  AIATERIALIZATIOX-SE- 
AXCE. 

Madam  d'Esperance  is.  so  far  as  I  know,  the 
only  medium  who  is  not  entranced  during  ma- 
terialization-seances. 

This  is  in  accordance  with  an  agreement  made 
with  the  invisible  powers,  when  her  mediumistic 
ofifts  for  materialization  were  tirst  discovered: 
which  discovery  happened,  according  to  ^Nladam 
d'Esperance's  own  account,  entirely  by  chance, 
and  in  the  manner  following: 

One  day  when  she  was  visiting  a  friend. Miss 
Fairlamb,  (now  Mrs.  ^lellon,)  who  was  ah'eady 
known  as  a  medium  for  materializations,  she  was 
detained  longer  than  usual,  because  a  cab  could 
not  be  obtained.  Madam  d'Esperance  did  not 
then  believe  in  materialization,  though  she  had 
not  the  slightest  doubt  of  her  friend's  good  faith. 
To  pass  the  time,  and  solely  for  their  amuse- 
ment. Miss  Fairlamb  proposed  that  Aladam 
d'Esperance  should  enter  the  cabinet  which  was 

^  At  Newcastle.  England,  about  1S75.  — A. A. 


152    A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZ ATION. 

kept  for  seances.  Scarcely  had  Madam  d'Espe- 
rance,  laughingly,  seated  herself,  when  a  form 
appeared.  Naturally,  they  gave  her  no  peace 
after  that.  But  knowing  how  frequently  mediums 
are  accused  of  themselves  playing  the  parts  of 
the  spirits,  and  to  what  disagreeable  suspicions 
they  are  exposed,  she  refused  to  re-enter  the 
cabinet  except  upon  one  condition  y  this  was, 
that  she  should  not  be  entranced,  but  should  be 
suffered  to  retain  her  entire  consciousness  all  the 
time,  if  ^^the  spirits"  could  manifest  under  such 
conditions.  They  replied  that  it  was  possible, 
and  promised  that  she  should  never  be  en- 
tranced. She  thought  herself  thus  assured  that 
she  should  never,  unconsciously,  be  made  to  act 
the  part  of  a  spirit.  She  was,  therefore,  morti- 
fied and  alarmed  that  she  had  been,  so  to  speak, 
the  victim  of  an  illusion,  when  she  ascertained, 
later,  that  even  when  she  knew  that  she  was 
seated  in  the  cabinet  and  had  her  full  conscious- 
ness, her  body  could  be  projected  out  of  the 
cabinet  and  made  to  play  any  part  which  the 
invisibles  might  impose  upon  it.^ 

This  was  a  revelation  to  her;  and,  thereafter, 
she  would  hold  no  seances  except  upon  condi- 
tion that  she  was  permitted  to  sit  in  front  of, 
and  outside  of,  the  cabinet. 

'  See  the  last  pages  of  Chapter  First.  — A. A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  153 


But  all  this  information  was  only  a  chance 
acquisition  during  my  sta}^  at  Helsingfors  in 
1890.  What  seemed  of  chief  importance  was  to 
take  advantage  of  that  most  rare  opportunit}^  to 
question  a  medium  as  to  her  physical  and  men- 
tal condition  during  a  materialization.  Madam 
d'Esperance  most  amiably  consented;  I  put  the 
questions,  and  Mr.  Fidler  took  down  the  re- 
sponses in  shorthand.  The  result  was  the  ques- 
tions and  answers  given  below. 

The  difficulty  which  I  then  felt  in  reconciling 
the  exact  duplication  of  the  medium's  body  — 
this  complete  externalization,  (to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  practical  hypnotism,)  —  with  the  me- 
dium's certainty  that  she  had  not  left  her  place  in 
the  cabinet,  made  me  decide  not  to  publish  the 
interview.  But  now,  since  the  occurrence  of 
the  phenomenon  at  Helsingfors  —  which  may 
serve  as  a  "  demonstration  ad  oculos "  of  what 
is  possible  in  this  phase  of  mediumship  if  devel- 
oped to  a  higher  degree  —  I  feel  justified  in 
publishing  the  interview  by  a  firm  conviction 
that  a  time  will  come  when  these  things  will  be 
estimated  at  their  true  value. 


154     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERIALIZATION. 

I.    Questions  by  Mons.  Aksakof,  and  Re- 
plies OF  THE  Medium. 

Question  i.  What  are  your  mental  and  physi- 
cal sensations,  when  3^ou  are  seated  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  cabinet,  when  the  manifestations 
commence  ? 

Ansvjer.  When  I  first  sit  down  and  the  cur- 
tains are  closed,  I  feel  anxious  to  be  sure  that  the 
spectators  are  seated  in  their  right  places.  As 
long  as  I  can  see  those  who  are  present,  I  do  not 
feel  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  spirits  to 
manifest  through  me;  when  the  curtains  are 
drawn,  my  attention  is  usually  fixed  upon  the 
members  of  the  circle,  trying  to  make  sure  that 
everything  is  as  it  should  be.  Generally,  also,  I 
feel  somewhat  worried,  and  feel  that  every 
preparation  should  be  made  before  I  enter  the 
cabinet  and  take  my  seat,  so  that  I  need  not  be 
concerned  about  anything.  The  slightest  confu- 
sion always  disturbs  me;  so  much  so,  that,  if  it 
is  not  immediately  quieted,  I  become  so  agi- 
tated that  no  manifestations  whatever  can  take 
place 

When  all  is  quiet,  I  feel  no  sort  of  care,  even 
for  myself;  and  the  longer  the  sitting  lasts,  the 
more  tranquil  I  become.  Sometimes,  I  make  the 
remark,  "There  is  some  one  in  the  cabinet."  I 
do  so  because  I  think  I  should  inform  the  circle 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  155 


of  the  fact;  not  that  it  is  of  any  interest  what- 
ever to  me. 

It  seems  that,  if  one  of  the  sitters  leaves  the 
circle,  the  chain  is  broken  and  this  stops  the 
manifestations.  At  the  last  seance,  I  felt  as  if 
someone  had  done  something  out  of  the  way; 
but  I  did  not  know  what  it  was,  nor  by  whom  it 
was  done. 

The  first  sensation  that  I  am  conscious  of, 
when  sittinof  in  the  cabinet,  if  evervthing^  is 
as  it  should  be,  is  this:  I  feel  as  if  my  face 
and  hands  were  covered  with  cobwebs,  and  I 
hastily  rub  both  face  and  hands.  This  sensa- 
tion passes  away  and  then  the  air  seems  to 
be  filled  with  particles  of  something,  and  it  is 
difficult  for  me  to  breath.  This,  also,  passes 
away  and  then  I  know  that  an  apparition  is  tak- 
ing shape. 

The  commencement  of  manifestations  is  an- 
nounced b}^  the  feeling  of  cobwebs,  but  this  does 
not  recur  unless  the  seance  is  interrupted.  If  a 
break  occurs,  it  is  repeated.  When  the  seances 
are  not  successful,  I  feel  the  cobwebs,  as  it  were, 
all  the  time;  but  at  such  times,  there  are  really 
neither  veils,  nor  forms,  nor  even  webs.  When 
a  ray  of  light  penetrates  the  cabinet,  I  can  see  a 
white  and  vaporous  mass,  floating  like  the  smoke 
of  a  locomotive.    I  have  often  put  my  hand  into 


156     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


this  mist,  to  feel  it  and  examine  it;  but  I  can  not 
say  that  it  ever  feels  as  if  I  touched  anything.  I 
do  not  see  it  frequently,  and  have  very  rarely  felt 
any  curiosity  to  examine  the  curling  mist;  not 
that  it  interested  me  particularl}^,  even  then;  but 
because  it  might  be  interesting  to  others.  After 
this  mass  of  vapor  has  swayed  and  rolled,  in 
every  direction,  for  some  time  —  sometimes,  even 
as  long  as  half  an  hour  —  it  suddenly  becomes 
stationary,  and  then  I  know  that  a  living  being  is 
beside  me.  Sometimes,  the  form  takes  shape 
almost  as  soon  as  the  mist  appears. 

I  always  have  a  sensation  of  emptiness,  which 
begins  as  soon  as  I  feel  the  cobwebs.  I  have  the 
latter  feeling  only  at  the  commencement,  and 
later  am  unconscious  of  anything  like  it;  but  the 
sensation  of  emptiness  seems  to  persist. 

If  I  try  to  move,  I  have  no  sense  of  distance; 
nor  can  I  say  how  far  I  move  a  finger;  or,  if  I 
shake  it,  I  can  not  say  where  it  will  stop;  I  can 
only  compare  it  to  our  sense  of  movements 
under  water. 

The  law  of  gravity  seems  to  be  suspended.  I 
know  that,  in  some  way,  I  always  become  more 
inert;  and  although  the  distance  between  me 
and  the  side  of  the  cabinet  is  very  short,  it  seems 
to  have  been  increased,  and  now  seems  to  be 
limitless. 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  157 

When  Yolande  appears,  she  seems  to  approach 
from  a  great  distance.' 

^uest.  2.  Have  you  noticed  which  is  materi- 
alized first,  the  form  or  the  veils?  Have  you 
ever  seen  or  thought  that  Yolande  dressed  her- 
self? Has  she,  to  your  knowledge,  ever  taken 
any  of  3^our  garments  to  clothe  herself? 

Ans.  When  the  mist  is  changed  to  a  living 
body,  I  can  never  tell  whether  the  form  or  the 
drapery  is  first  shaped.  The  whole  transforma- 
tion is  so  rapid,  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  which 
appears  first,  the  body,  or  its  garments.  Yolande 
almost  always  comes  close  up  to  me,  as  soon 
as  she  is  materialized.  When  she  appears,  I 
always  feel  a  certain  interest  in  her,  although  I 
do  not  often  have  an  opportunity  to  see  her.  It 
is,  in  one  sense,  a  surprise  when  she  comes, 
whether  it  is  because  I  can  discover  no  limit  to 
the  cabinet,  or  because  her  form  seems  to  come 
from  so  great  a  distance;  and  that  is  why  my 
interest  is  excited. 

I  have  put  my  hand  upon  her  and  have  felt  of 
her  hair,  but  have  never  had  the  curiosity  to 
examine  her  closely.  On  Monday  last,  she  put 
her  head  upon  my  lap  and  I  felt  her  hair  against 
my  hands;  her  shoulders  and  arms  were  bare. 


^  Yolande  is  the  name  given  to  the  materialized  form  which  most 
frequently  appears.  —  A. A. 


158     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAI.  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


So  far  as  I  know,  she  has  never  taken  any  of  my 
garments  to  clothe  herself.  On  one  occasion, 
Madam  Fidler  made  the  remark  that  she  wore 
a  skirt  trimmed  almost  exactly  like  mine;  but 
the  trimming  was  carefully  examined  and  we 
found  that  it  had  been  washed,  folded  and  put 
away  for  a  long  time.  Since  that  time,  I  have 
always  made  it  a  point  to  wear  dark  trimmings 
on  my  skirts  when  I  hold  a  seance,  because 
Yolande  is  always  dressed  in  white. 

When  Leila^  was  photographed,  I  saw  by  the 
sudden  magnesium  flash,  that  she  wore  a  shawl 
like  one  of  mine,  which  was  presented  to  my 
\father  by  Abdul  Azziz,  in  recognition  of  his  ser- 
vices in  directing  the  blockade,  in  the  Crimean 
War,  I  believe.  Immediately  after  the  seance, 
I  took  pains  to  find  out  where  my  shawl  was, 
and  I  found  it  folded  and  stored  away  in  its 
proper  place. 

When  Yolande  is  outside  of  the  cabinet,  I 
have  forced  her  to  return  to  me  by  will-power. 
This  puts  her  in  a  very  bad  temper  when  she 
wishes  to  remain  outside. 

^uest.  3.  Can  you  see  Yolande  distinctly 
when  she  appears  between  the  curtains?  What 

^  The  name  of  a  materialized  form  which  appeared  at  a  course  of 
seances  held  for  Mr.  Hedlund,  by  Madam  d'Esperance,  at  Gotten- 
burg,  in  1890. — A. A. 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM  ATERIALIZATIOX.  159 

do  vou  feel  at  such  times,  and  why  do  you  not 
answer  questions? 

A/is.  When  Yolande  stands  in  the  opening 
of  the  curtains  and  I  see  her,  I  feel  quite  dreamy 
and  indifferent  to  all  that  is  taking  place  around 
me.  The  reason,  doubtless,  is  that  I  am  too 
weak  and  powerless  to  concern  myself  about 
anything.  When  questioned.  I  have  to  collect 
mv  thoughts  and  strength,  so  to  speak,  before  I 
can  answer.  ]My  thoughts  and  feelings  are  as 
vague  as  if  I  was  in  a  dream.  I  can  think  and 
feel,  but  can  not  move.  It  is  as  if  I  were  para- 
lyzed. 

^uest.  4.  Do  Yo'lande's  movements  of  her 
body,  hands  and  feet  cause  anv  correspondent 
movement  whatever  of  yours? 

Ans.  Any  rapid  movement  on  Yolande's  part 
makes  me  perspire  freely.  I  do  not  know  what 
movements  she  makes;  I  only  know  that  she 
moves:  for  I  now  know,  from  experience,  that 
any  effort  on  her  part  fatigues  me  much  more 
than  if  I  made  it  myself. 

It  often  happens  that  I  have  to  change  all  my 
garments  after  a  seance,  because  I  am  in  such  a 
perspiration.  In  my  ordinary  condition,  on  the 
contrary,  I  may  almost  say  that  I  never  perspire. 
Even  when  taking  Turkish  baths,  the  most  intense 
heat  is  necessary  to  excite  perspiration  in  me. 


IGO     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


^uest,  5.  When  Yolande  is  entirely  outside 
the  cabinet,  do  you  always  know  the  fact? 
What  do  you  feel,  at  such  times?  Is  there  any 
rapport  —  any  sympathetic  connection,  between 
you  and  her?  AVhen  she  touches  a  sitter,  or  is 
touched  by  one,  are  you  conscious  of  it? 

Ans.  Whenever  Yolande  is  outside  the  cabi- 
net, I  know  it;  but  that  may  be  only  because  I 
see  her  go  out.  AYhenever  she  is  dematerialized 
outside,  I  feel  m3^self  grow  stronger,  and  I  con- 
clude from  this  that  she  is  gone;  but  I  can 
scarcely  say  that  I  know  it,  as  a  fact.  When 
she  is  dematerialized  outside,  I  do  not  know 
whether  she  has  entirely  disappeared,  or  has  re- 
entered the  cabinet  without  my  seeing  her.  All 
that  I  feel,  when  she  is  outside,  is  a  nervous 
anxiety  as  to  what  she  may  do;  exactly  as  if  she 
liad  escaped  from  my  control,  and  I  fear  that  she 
may  do  something  she  should  not  do.  I  never 
think  of  myself,  but  only  of  her,  precisely  as  if 
she  were  a  child  entrusted  to  my  care.  This  is 
never  the  case  with  other  spirits;  I  am  indiffer- 
ent as  to  them,  and  do  not  seem  to  care.  I  am 
curious  about  them,  but  not  concerned. 

Perhaps  my  anxiety  as  to  Yolande  is  caused 
by  the  fact  that  she  has  several  times  gotten  into 
difficulty,  already.  Thus,  for  example,  when 
Mr.  George  Jackson,  (of  No.  100  High  Street, 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM  ATE  RIALIZ  ATIOX .  161 


Birmingham,)  was  here,  at  the  time  of  the  tirst 
seance,  he  was  involved  in  one  of  these  difficul- 
ties. When  Yolande  threw  off  the  veil  which 
had  covered  her,  he  thought  she  meant  to  give  it 
to  him  and  attempted  to  put  it  in  his  pocket.  In 
spite  of  his  haste  to  do  so,  there  seemed  to  be  more 
and  more  of  it.  Yolande  was  not  pleased  with 
his  appropriation  of  it.  and  began  to  show  signs  of 
anger.  The  other  participants  told  ^Nlr.  Jackson 
to  release  the  veil,  but  he  did  not  understand 
Swedish  and  continued  to  thrust  it  into  his 
pocket.  Yolande,  apparentl}',  lost  her  temper 
completely,  at  last,  and  commenced  to  stamp  her 
toot.  ]Mr.  Jackson  then  understood  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake  and  returned  the  veil.  I  saw  her 
distinctly,  at  the  entrance  of  the  cabinet  ;  but  could 
form  no  conjecture  as  to  what  had  happened.  I 
could  onh'  see  her,  pulling  the  veil  and  stamping. 

When  Yolande  is  outside  and  touches,  or  is 
touched  by,  some  one,  I  always  feel  it.  I  do  not 
know  when  she  touches  an  object,  a  book,  or  a 
table,  for  instance;  yet  if  she  grasps  anything 
tio'htlv,  I  feel  mv  muscles  contract,  as  if  mv  hand 
had  grasped  it.  When  she  dipped  her  lingers 
in  the  melted  wax,  I  felt  a  burnino-  sensation.^ 

^This  occurred  at  one  of  my  seances.  I  had  prepared  some  melted 
wax  and  warm  water,  to  try  to  obtain  a  cast  of  Yolande" s  hand. 

A. A. 


162     A   CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


At  the  time  of  the  circles  held  at  Mr.  Hecllund's 
house,  I  remember  that,  one  evening,  he  opened 
the  curtains  at  the  center  of  the  cabinet;  it  seems 
that,  at  that  moment,  Yolande  stepped  upon  a 
thumb  tack,  for  I  instantly  felt  a  sharp  pain  in 
my  foot,  but  she  felt  nothing.  The  pain  con- 
stantly came  and  went,  'from  that  time  to  the 
close  of  the  seance. 

Several  years  ago,  at  Newcastle,  she  had  a 
rose  in  her  hand  and  one  of  the  thorns  pierced 
her  finger.  Simultaneously,  I  felt  the  prick,  in 
mine.  She  first  went  to  one  of  the  sitters,  to  get 
him  to  remove  the  thorn;  but  as  none  of  them 
understood  her,  she  came  to  me  and  I  pulled  it 
out. 

Except  this  sensation  of  pain,  (frequently  felt 
by  me  when  the  injury  really  happens  to 
Yolande,)  I  do  not  know  that  there  is  any  con- 
nection ruhateverhQtwQtn  us,  as  far  as  relates  to 
my  own  innermost  personality.  I  am  perfectly 
sure  that  I  lose  nothing,  unless  it  be  some  little 
physical  sensitiveness;  I  am  sure  that  I  lose 
neither  power  of  thought  nor  of  judgment,  when 
Yolande  is  present;  for  my  reasoning  power  is 
then  more  acute  than  at  other  times.  Although 
she  may  take  parts  of  my  body,  I  know  that  my 
intellect  is  not  even  temporarily  impaired. 

^uest.  6.   Have  you  never  been  in  a  position 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION.  163 


to  observe  Yolancle  when  she  was  out  in  the 
room,  well  away  from  the  cabinet? 

Aus.  I  have  seen  her  play  an  organ,  outside 
the  cabinet.  She  chanced  to  leave  the  curtains 
a  little  way  open.  I  have  seen  her  outside,  on 
other  occasions,  also.  During  seances  at  ^Ir. 
Hedlund's,  I  often  saw  her  experimenting  with 
the  light,  to  see  if  she  could  bear  it;  she  had 
drawn  the  curtains  together  at  the  top,  but  in  such 
a  way  that  I  could  see  her.  I  have  also  watched 
her  when  she  was  examining  the  room.  But 
frequently,  when  I  feel  curious  to  observe  her, 
(as  I  sometimes  do,)  I  have  not  strength  enough 
to  open  the  curtains. 

I  have  seen  Yolande  outside  of  the  cabinet 
about  six  times,  in  all.  One  day,  at  Newcastle, 
she  came  to  me  from  the  third  compartment  of 
the  cabinet,  across  the  room.  I  saw  her  come  out, 
then  I  lost  sight  of  her  and  knew  nothing  further 
of  her  movements  until  I  saw  her  near  me,  but  a 
few  feet  otf.  Izcent  roith  her^  and  she  put  her 
arm  around  me  and  helped  me  to  walk  to  the 
organ.  At  other  times,  she  has  materialized  at 
my  side,  outside  the  cabinet;  then,  I  could  see  her 
as  well  as  I  could  see  the  members  of  the  circle. 

^uest.  7.  Do  you  notice  any  changes  in  your 
bodily  or  mental  condition  during  seances,  which 
correspond  with  the  manifestations? 


164     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


A71S.  As  the  apparitions  take  shape,  dissolve, 
or  move  about,  I  am  conscious  of  physical  sen- 
sations; as,  for  example,  the  feelings  of  empti- 
ness and  paralysis;  but  these  impressions  pass 
away  with  the  forms.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  is  exactly  the  reverse  with  my  mental  condi- 
tion; for  my  mental  impressions  are  much  more 
powerful  during  the  manifestations  than  when  I 
am  in  my  normal  state,  and  neither  materializa- 
tions nor  apparitions  are  present. 

I  know  and  feel  all  that  occurs,  even  outside 
the  circle.    I  saw  that  you  were  absent;^  I  know 

^  This  refers  to  the  following  incident :  At  one  of  the  seances,  when 
everything  was  in  readiness,  Madam  d'Esperance  in  the  cabinet, 
the  curtains  drawn,  every  one  in  his  place,  the  half-light  adjusted, 
but  the  door  not  yet  locked,  I  slipped  out  of  the  room  without  mak- 
ing the  slightest  noise.  As  soon  as  I  returned,  they  told  me  that 
Madam  d'Esperance  had  exclaimed,  "We  cannot  begin,  for  Mons. 


Medium's  Feet. 


My  Feet. 


Aksakof  is  not  here."  I  must  add  that  the  medium  was  seated  in 
the  cabinet,  and  her  chair  was  so  placed  that  her  back  was  turned 
towards  my  position.    Only  the  curtain  separated  us,  but  my  seat 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  165 

when  any  one  is  stirring  in  another  part  of  the 
house,  and  T  hear  them  much  more  plainly  than 
under  ordinary  circumstances.  I  heard  the  clock 
strike  in  the  church  tower;  I  could  hear  the 
whistling  of  the  steamers  in  the  harbor,  and  the 
noise  of  the  incoming  and  outgoing  trains,  as  I 
could  not  possibly  do  in  my  normal  state. 

^uest.  8.  Do  you  hear  what  is  said  by  the 
members  of  the  circle,  among  themselves,  and 
especially  when  they  talk  with  Yolande? 

A?is.  I  hear  the  spectators,  and  even  seem  to 
know  their  thoughts.  When  any  one  speaks  to 
Yolande,  no  matter  in  what  language,  I  seem  to 
know  what  they  mean  to  say  to  her.  I  do  not 
understand  this  from  their  speech  but  from  their 
thoughts. 

^uest.  9.  If  Yolande  happens  to  touch  you 
what  kind  of  sensation  do  you  feel? 

Ans.  When  I  touch  Yolande  it  seems  as  if  I 
were  touching  myself ;  but  when  I  feel  that 
there  are  four  hands,  I  realize  that  they  are  not 
all  mine.  Saturday,  when  she  took  both  my 
hands —  one  to  hold  the  s^uitar  and  the  other  to 
strike  the  chords — it  felt  as  if  I  were  touching 
my  own  hands.    Her  hands  were  cooler  than 


Avas  at  the  left  corner  of  the  cabinet,  somewhat  behind  the  medium's 
chair;  so  that,  e\'en  it  there  had  chanced  to  be  a  hole  in  the  curtain, 
she  could  not  have  seen  me.  —  A. A. 


166     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


mine,  but  that  was  the  only  noticeable  differ- 
ence. 

^uest.  lo.  Do  you  touch  Yolande  when  you 
wish  to  and  as  often  as  3^ou  wish  to?  I  suppose 
you,  naturally,  wish  to  assure  yourself  that  hers 
is  a  veritable  body? 

Ans.  I  never  try  to  touch  Yolande  unless  she 
is  very  close  to  me,  and  unless  she  asks  me  to 
do  something  for  her. 

I  felt  her  Saturday  [July  5th,  1890]  when  she 
was  so  frightened  that  she  threw  herself  into  my 
arms.  I  felt  her  whole  body,  the  draught  of  her 
breath,  and  the  beating,  or  I  might  rather  say 
the  throbbing,  of  her  heart.  I  could  not  under- 
stand the  cause  of  her  alarm.  Could  the  sound 
of  the  guitar  alone  have  disturbed  her  to  such  a 
degree?  Her  fingers  were  moist,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  some  earth  clung  to  them;  I  therefore  in- 
ferred that  she  had  been  doing  something  with  a 
plant';  I  felt  the  sand. 

If  I  try  to  touch  Yolande,  it  is  always  at  the 
commencement  of  a  seance:  later  I  feel  neither 
interest  nor  curiosity  so  to  do.  When  I  put  out 
my  hand  and  touch  /z^r,  /  feel  nothifig  at  all^ 
it  feels  as  if  there  was  nothing  there.  I  see 
plainly  that  there  is  something  or  somebody  there 

'  The  seance  of  June  28,  1890,  during  which  Yolande  materialized 
a  plant.    See  Psych.  Stud.,  December,  1890.  —  A. A. 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION.  167 

when  the  curtains  are  open,  but  later,  by  the 
time  that  she  is  better  materialized,  I  lose  all 
interest.  Nevertheless,  if  she  touches  me,  I  can 
feel  it. 

I  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  taken  Yolande 
upon  m}^  knees;  the  greater  part  of  the  time  she 
sits  on  the  floor  at  my  feet  and  rests  her  head  in 
my  lap;  then  she  comes  in  front  of  me  and 
seems  to  step  between  me  and  the  curtains,  and 
although  the  space  is  but  three  or  four  hands 
wide,  she  can  pass  without  my  feeling  anything. 
She  can  stand  upright,  on  my  feet  or  on  my 
knees,  and  yet  / feel  no  weight  whatever.  Yet, 
on  Saturday,  July  5  th,  I  felt  the  full  weight  of  her 
body,  though  usually  she  seems  to  have  no 
weight  at  all. 

I  do  not  know  that  Yolande  has  ever  passed 
behind  me,  but  Mina  ^  very  often  does  so.  The 
latter,  at  such  times,  seems  to  bury  herself  partly 
in  the  wall  of  the  cabinet,  without  the  slightest 
inconvenience  to  herself.  Yolande  never  does 
this. 

A  living  human  being,  of  Yolande's  figure, 
could  never  pass  between  me  and  the  curtains, 
as  she  does,  without  crowding  me. 

^uest.  II.  Have  you  ever  seen  Yolande  mate- 

^  A  littlegirl  who  materializes  at  Madam  d'Esperance's  seances. 

A.A. 


168     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEM ATERIALIZATION. 


rialize  or  dematerialize  in  the  opening  of  the 
curtains,  (as  we  once  saw  her,)  and  what  effect 
did  it  have  on  you? 

Ans.  I  have  never  seen  Yolande  dematerialize, 
but  I  infer  that  she  has  done  so  from  the  sense 
of  returning  strength.  I  remember  very  dis- 
tinctly that,  when  at  Christiania,  I  felt  a  lack  of 
respirable  air  in  the  room;  and  once  or  twice, 
when  I  breathed  deeply^  I  heard  the  participants 
exclaim,  Now^  she^  \the  materialized  fornz^  is 
goneP'^  Once,  I  did  this  on  purpose,  and  heard 
Madam  Fidler  say,  "  There!  she  is  gone  again! 

^uest,  12.  Toward  the  end  of  the  seance, 
when  Yolande  is  ready  to  leave,  do  you  feel  any 
particular  bodil}'  sensation?  How  do  you  feel 
before  the  seance,  and  how  after  it? 

Ans.  At  the  end  of  a  seance,  I  always  feel  that 
a  good  bath  would  be  the  best  thing  for  me;  for 
I  do  not  feel  very  comfortable.  I  suppose  the 
reason  is  that  Yolande  borrows  a  certain  amount 
of  matter,  for  her  materializations,  from  the  spec- 
tators, and  that  I  absorb  some  of  this  and  it 
makes  me  uncomfortable.  Now,  I  always  take 
a  bath  before  each  seance,  but  then  I  took  it 
afterwards,  and  I  do  not  think  the  absorption  did 
me  any  harm;  still,  I  am  not  sure. 

I  always  feel  a  tingling  sensation,  all  over  my 
body,  before  a  seance  —  even  eight  or  nine  hours 


A  CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DE>xATERIALIZATION.  169 

before.  When  I  know  that  a  sitting  is  to  take 
place,  I  feel  a  pricking  in  my  lingers,  exactly  as 
if  I  held  the  tubes  of  a  galvanic  battery  ;  I  take 
no  interest  in  anything,  and  it  even  prevents  me 
from  thinking.  I  even  prefer  not  to  know,  be- 
forehand, when  a  sitting  is  arranged. 

After  a  seance,  I  generally  have  nausea,  fol- 
lowed by  vomiting,  caused  by  the  absorption  of 
matter  drawn  from  the  members  of  the  circle 
by  Yolande,  for  her  materialization.'  Through- 
out the  day,  before  a  seance,  I  abstain  from  nour- 
ishment, as  far  as  possible. 

^uest.  13.  Have  you  never  tried  to  hold  Yo- 
lande, or  her  veil,  with  your  hands?  It  would 
seem  but  natural  for  you  to  wish  to  preserve  a 
piece  of  the  drapery. 

Ans.  Onl\'  the  other  day,  I  took  the  scissors 
and  tried  to  cut  off  a  lock  t)f  her  hair,  but  I  did 
not  succeed  in  doing  so;  she  was  too  strong  for 
me.  Except  in  that  instance,  I  have  never  tried 
to  hold  her.  I  was  more  curious  to  test  her 
strength  than  anything  else,  but  she  grasped  my 
fingers  so  tightly  that  I  could  not  move  them. 

^uest.  14.  Have  you  ever  seen  Yolande. face 
to  face  ? 


'  Madam  d'Esperance  recently  told  me  that  she  was  surprised  to 
feel  no  distress  after  the  seances  at  Christiania,  but  that  none  of  the 
sitters  used  either  alcohol  or  tobacco.  — A. A. 


170     A   CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Ans.  When  she  has  been  outside  the  cabinet 
with  me,  /^^r  face  has  always  bee7i  veiled  in 
such  a  way  that  I  could  not  see  it;  but  at  New- 
castle, I  saw  her  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  when 
the  curtains  were  opened  and  the  light  fell  full 
upon  her.  I  then  saw  her  arms  and  shoulders  as 
plainly  as  I  could  see  those  of  any  other  person. 
It  was  a  seance  in  full  light.  /  saw  the  French 
tvoman,  and  it  was  like  looking  at  myself  in  a 
mi7'7'or^  so  much  did  she  resemble  me. 

^iiest.  15.  Did  you  recognize  this  resem- 
blance in  face  or  hands,  or  only  in  other  bodily 
and  mental  characteristics? 

A71S.  I  have  never  seen  an}^  resemblance  to 
me  in  the  features  of  Yolande's  face;  or,  rather,  1 
have  never  had  an  opportunity  to  compare  them. 

^uest,  16.  Have  you  never  felt  as  if  you  were 
in  Yolande;  as  if  your  consciousness  was  trans- 
planted into  her?  Or  do  you  always  have  a 
sense  of  separateness  from  her,  and  of  always 
being  yourself,  in  your  place,  inside  the  cabinet? 
Can  you  think,  and  understand  all  that  takes 
place  about  you  ? 

Ans.  When  she  touches  me,  the  sensation  is 
exactly  the  same  as  if  I  touched  myself.  I  do 
not  feel  as  if  I  were  a  part  of  her;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  as  if  she  were  a  part  of  me. 

Wherever  Yolande  may  be,  I  always  know 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION .  171 


that  I  am  truly  myself,  in  my  place  in  the  cabi- 
net. That  is  plain  and  sure,  and  nobody  in  the 
world  could  weaken  that  conviction;  for  I  am 
sure  of  it,  and  it  is  not  a  mere  belief.  I  know 
that  I,  myself,  am  here,  and  that  some  part  of 
myself,  (which  is  exhaled  from,  and  goes  out  of, 
me)  has  escaped  from  my  control.  It  seems  as 
if  something-  which  appertained  to  me  had  come 
into  the  temporary  control  of  another.  I  do  not 
know  exactly  what  I  have  lost;  at  all  events,  I 
have  lost  nothing  essential  to  my  being;  and  yet 
the  materialized  form  has  been  made  out  of 
me. 

I  consider  Yolande  a  being  distinct  from  me; 
I  am  absolutely  certain  that  she  has  her  own, 
separate  individuality,  her  own  sensations,  her 
own  consciousness,  entirely  apart  from  mine. 

^uest,  17.  Since  you  feel  that  Yolande  is,  in 
reality,  either  another  personality,  or  entirely 
independent  of  you,  can  you  not  describe  her 
moral  and  mental  characteristics?  —  When  you 
enter  the  cabinet,  do  you  think  of  Yolande,  or 
desire  her  to  come? 

A71S.  She  is  as  willful  and  capricious  as  a 
child  and,  to  me,  seems  as  undeveloped  as  a  girl 
of  thirteen  or  fourteen  years,  without  any  remark- 
able intelligence,  but  simply  inquisitive.  She 
appears  like  a  child  transplanted  to  a  more  civil- 


172     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 

ized  sphere  of  existence;  she  understands  and 
learns  quickly;  but  curiosity  is  the  most  distinc- 
tive quality  of  her  character. 

When  she  first  came  among  us,  she  did  not 
seem  to  know  what  a  chair  was,  and  attempted 
to  use  one  in  all  sorts  of  ways.  She  sat  upon  the 
back,  and  fell  over.  On  the  other  hand,  she 
appeared  to  be  acquainted  with  the  use  of  paper 
and  pencils. 

She  showed  much  curiosity  as  to  everything 
that  was  brought  to  her  notice;  she  understood 
the  use  of  clothes  and  jewelry,  and  knew  how  to 
put  them  on  properly. 

Yolande  never  shows  affection  for  me,  or  for 
any  one  else;  she  plays  freely  with  Mr.  Fidler's 
children,  because  she  is  used  to  them,  but  not 
from  any  fondness  for  them. 

I  suppose  she  finds  pleasure  in  activity.  If  I 
happen  to  ask  her  for  anything  —  flowers,  for 
instance  —  she  gives  them  to  me,  but  poutingly, 
it  seems.  When  any  other  person  asks  her  to 
do  anything  she  does  it  more  willingly;  but  if  it 
is  I,  not  only  is  she  unwilling,  but  she  seems  to 
look  upon  me  with  suspicion,  as  if  I  exercised  a 
surveillance  over  her. 

Yolande  appears  to  be  influenced  by  a  desire 
for  praise  and  a  wish  to  be  thought  intelligent. 
She  must  have  progressed  in  the  six  years  since 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  173 

Walter'  told  us  she  had  learned  the  lirst  letters 
of  the  alphabet;  but  she  has  still  much  to 
learn. 

I  never  try  to  think  of  what  may  happen  while 
I  am  in  the  cabinet,  and  I  never  desire  that 
Yolande  may  come.  I  do  not  know  that  she 
will  come,  but  I  know  that  some  one  will  gener- 
ally come.  Of  course,  if  nothing  occurs.  I  am 
disappointed:  and.  for  that  reason  alone.  I  might 
desire  her  to  come. 

^uesi.  iS.  When  other  spirits  materialize,  do 
vou  teel  as  if  they  were  a  part  of  vourself.  or  as 
if  thev  were  strangers  and  independent  of  vou  r 

Alls.  I  do  not  feel,  with  other  spirits,  as  T 
do  with  Yolande.  I  can  tell,  without  look- 
ing, whether  it  is  Yolande  or  another  form.  I 
do  not  know  why  this  is  ;  I  only  feel  the  differ- 
ence. 

When  the  spirit  called  "  Charles  I  "  I  was  curi- 
ous to  see  who  it  was.  without  taking  any  further 
interest.  I  felt  that  Yolande  was  gone  and  that 
I  was  restored  to  my  normal  state;  then,  at  that 
A'crv  moment.  I  felt  a  change  and  the  spirit 
called  **  Charles  "  appeared. 

^uest.  19.  Has  Yolande  never  manifested  in 
any  other  wav  than  during  a  seance,  with  the 
materializing  cabinet? 

*  A  spirit-guide  who  manifests  by  ^vriting.  — A. A. 


174     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Ans.  Yolande  has  never,  to  my  knowledge, 
manifested  otherwise  than  at  seances,  with  the 
cabinet  for  materializations.  The  other  spirits 
which  manifest  at  the  seances,  have  given  proof 
of  their  existence,  at  other  times. 

I  remember  that  one  evening,  while  I  was 
still  living  in  England,  I  had  one  of  the  little 
boys  upon  my  lap,  and  as  we  sang  together  we 
heard  a  voice  accompany  us.  The  boys  asked. 
Is  that  you,  singing,  Nina?"  and  she  answered, 
"Yes."  Thereupon,  they  mounted  the  stairs  at 
a  run  and,  not  finding  her  there,  they  called  out, 
"Are  you  down-stairs?"  The  voice  again  an- 
swered "Yes."  They  scampered  all  over,  look- 
ing for  her,  until  tired  out.  They  heard  the 
voice  in  all  parts  of  the  house. 

^uest.  20.  Please  tell  me  how  you  were  im- 
pressed by  Walter's  answer,  on  June  i6th,  1890, 
which  you  said  was  entirely  unexpected  —  "a 
revelation."  I  refer  to  your  entire  invisibility 
when  I  suddenly  looked  into  the  cabinet.' 

Ans.  Prior  to  the  i6th  of  June,  1890,  I  felt 
absolutely  certain  that  no  appreciable  change 
took  place  in  my  body.  I  did,  indeed,  feel  that 
a  change  took  place  at  seances,  but  did  not  sup- 
pose that  it  was  apparent  to  others.  I  always, 
so  far  as  I  know,  could  see,  feel  and  hear;  or,  I 

^  See  Psych.  Stud,  for  1894,  pp.  298,  299.  — A. A. 


A  CASE   OF    PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION .  175 

might  rather  say,  that  when  I  am  in  the  cabinet 
my  hearing  is  much  more  acute  than  at  ordinary 
times,  for  I  can  then  hear  the  ticking  of  a  clock 
in  an  adjoining  room,  or  even  on  a  lower  storey; 
I  can  hear  all  the  sounds  of  the  city,  for  in- 
stance, the  striking  of  town  and  church  clocks, 
and  the  ticking  of  the  watches  of  the  specta- 
tors. It  is  certain  that  my  senses  are  sharper 
than  usual.  I  can  feel  thoitghts^  but  it  seems 
more  as  if  I  heard  them.'  I  have  lately  tried 
to  fix  the  thoughts  thus  felt  and  heard,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  repeat  them;  but  I  have  not  suc- 
ceeded. 

If  I  had  known  that  I  should  sometimes  be 
transformed^  as  Walter  seems  to  believe,  I 
should  never  have  dared  to  hold  seances  for 
persons  not  perfectly  familiar  with  matters  of 
this  kind. 

I  frequently  walk  with  Yolande,  outside  the 
cabinet,  so  as  to  enable  the  sitters  to  see  us  both, 
at  the  same  time. 

On  many  occasions,  I  have  seen  Yolande  be- 
fore me,  or  kneeling  beside  me,  patting  my 
dress,  and  sometimes  she  gives  me  a  glass  of 
water.  I  have  talked  to  her,  touched  her,  and 
have  had  opportunities  to  convince   myself,  in 

^  These  italics  are  the  translator's.    The  translation  is  literal. 

Translator. 


176     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


all  sorts  of  ways,  that  we  are  two  distinct  per- 
sonalities. The  first  time  that  I  remarked  any 
very  great  change  in  myself,  and  actually  com- 
prehended that  it  was  a  real  change,  was  at  the 
time  of  the  Hedlund  photographic  seances,  when 
a  male  spirit  touched  me.  I  was  so  frightened 
at  it  that  I  tried  to  rise  and  fly  from  the  cabinet, 
but  found  that  I  had  no  power  to  move.  The 
spectators  saw  the  spirit  referred  to,  and  saw  it 
dissolve,  little  by  little.  At  the  same  time,  I 
felt  my  strength  and  sensibility, return. 

II.  Supplementary  Remarks  by  Mons. 
Aksakof. 

I  know  no  more  appropriate  way  to  close 
these  interesting  communications,  than  to  refer 
my  readers  to  the  simple  and  vivid  description 
which  Madam  d'Esperance  has  given  of  what 
she  knows,  thinks  and  feels  during  a  materializ- 
ing seance,  when  sitting  outside  the  cabinet^  in 
full  view  of  the  participants,  as  published  by  her 
in  a  series  of  articles  in  The  Medium  for  1892 
and  1893,  under  the  title  "  How  a  Medium  Feels 
durinof  Materializations." 

I  cannot  refrain  from  here  reproducing  one 
passage  which  directly  and  speciall}^  relates  to 
the  question  treated  in  this  work,  and  describes 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  177 


another  valuable  case  of  that  duplication  which 
the  medium  experienced,  while  she  remained 
conscious  throughout  it.  ^Nladam  d'Esperance 
herself  speaks,  herein;  and  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  account  was  written  lono^  before 
the  Helsingfors  experience. 

"And  now,  another  small  and  delicate  form 
appears,  with  its  little  arms  stretched  out.  Some 
one,  at  the  far  end  of  the  circle,  rises,  approaches 
it,  and  they  embrace.  I  hear  inarticulate  cries  : 
^Anna!  O  Anna!  My  child  —  my  dear  child!' 
Then  another  person  rises  and  throws  her  arms 
around  the  spirit;  whereupon,  I  hear  sobs  and 
exclamations,  mingled  with  benedictions.  I  feel 
my  body  moved  from  side  to  side;  everything 
grows  dark  before  my  eyes.  I  feel  some  one's 
arms  around  my  shoulders;  some  one's  heart 
beats  against  my  bosom.  I  feel  that  something 
happens.  No  one  is  near  me;  no  one  pays  the 
slightest  attention  to  me.  Every  eye  is  fixed 
upon  that  little  figure,  white  and  slender,  in  the 
arms  of  the  two  women  in  mourning. 

"It  must  be  my  heart  that  I  hear  beating,  so 
distinctly;  yet,  surely,  some  one's  arms  are 
around  me;  never  have  I  felt  an  embrace  more 
plainly.  I  begin  to  wonder.  Who  am  I?  Am  I 
the  apparition  in  white,  or  am  I  that  which  re- 
mains seated  in  the  chair?    Are  those  my  arms, 


178     A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZ ATION . 

around  the  neck  of  the  elder  woman  ?  or  are 
those  mine  which  lie  before  me,  in  m}^  lap?  Am 
I  the  phantom;  and,  if  so,  what  shall  I  call  the 
being  in  the  chair? 

"Surely,  my  lips  are  kissed;  my  cheeks  are 
moist  with  the  tears  so  plentifully  shed  by  the 
two  women.  But  how  can  that  be?  This  feelinof 
of  doubt  as  to  one's  own  identity  is  fearful.  I  wish 
to  extend  one  of  the  hands  lying  in  my  lap.  I  can 
not  do  so.  I  wish  to  touch  some  one  so  as  to 
make  perfectly  certain  whether  I  am  /,  or  only  a 
dream;  whether  Anna  is  I,  and  if  I  am,  in  some 
sort,  lost  in  her  identity. 

"  I  feel  the  trembling  arms  of  the  elder  woman, 
her  kisses,  her  tears,  the  caresses  of  the  sister, 
and  I  suffer  mortal  agony.  How  long  will  it 
last?  How  long  will  both  of  us  remain?  What 
will  happen,  in  the  end  ?  Shall  I  be  Anna,  or  will 
Anna  be  me  ? 

"Thereupon,  I  feel  two  little  hands  slipped  into 
my  paralyzed  palms;  this  gives  me  a  kind  of 
support  and  an  acute  happiness.  I  know  that  I 
am  still  myself  and  that  little  Joute,'  tired,  doubt- 
less, of  remaining  forgotten  behind  the  three  fig- 
ures, and  feeling  lonesome,  is  looking  for  a  play- 
mate. 


^  The  name  of  another  child-spirit,  who  materializes  at  Madame 
d'Esperance's  seances. —  A. A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION.  179 


How  happy  I  am  to  feel  the  touch,  even  of  a 
little  child!  My  doubts  —  as  to  who  and  where 
I  am  —  are  gone.  And  while  I  am  experiencing 
all  this,  the  white  form  of  Anna  disappears  in 
the  cabinet  and  the  two  women  return  to  their 
places,  tearful,  shaken  with  emotion,  but  intense- 
ly happy."    {^The  Medium^  1893?  P-  46-) 


CHAPTER  VL 


Conclusions. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  memorial,  I 
stated  that  the  manifestation,  of  which,  in  partic- 
ular, it  treats,  is  destined  to  throw  a  bright  light 
on  certain  questions,  hitherto  obscure  and  con- 
fused, relating  to  the  phenomena  of  materializa- 
tion. I  shall  restrict  myself  to  a  statement  of 
them,  in  the  briefest  manner  possible,  without 
entering  into  details. 

I.  The  frequently  noted  fact  of  the  resem- 
blance of  the  materialized  form  to  the  medium, 
here  finds  its  natural  explanation.  As  that  form 
is  only  a  duplication  of  the  medium,  it  is  natural 
that  it  should  have  all  her  features. 

Ver}^  recently  indeed,  at  the  time  of  our  Milan 
seances  with  Eusapia  Paladino,  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  show  a  resemblance  of  hands;  and  I 
have  mentioned,  in  my  book,  Animisme  et  Spir- 
it isme^  a  case  in  which  the  resemblance  of  feet 
was  shown  by  impressions  in  paraffine.  As  for 
features  of  the  face,  we  have  Prof.  Crookes'  pho- 
tographs, in  which  the  resemblance  between 
Katie  King  and  her  medium  cannot  be  mistaken. 
Consequently  —  and  this  is  a  most  important  point 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATION .  181 


to  remember,  when  experimenting,  investigating 
or  criticising —  it  is  obvious  that  the  most  exact 
likeness  is  not  any  evidence  of  fraud,  on  the  part 
of  the  medium.  Thus  General  Sederholm  was 
very  easily  misled  to  his  conclusion  that  Madam 
d'Esperance  played  the  part  of  the  spirits,  her- 
self 

2.  Furthermore,  —  One  may  seize  the  mate- 
rialized form,  and  hold  it,  and  assure  himself  that 
he  holds  nothing  except  the  medium  herself,  in 
flesh  and  bone;  and  it  is  not  yet  a  proof  of  fraud 
on  the  medium's  part.  In  fact,  according  to  our 
hypothesis,  what  could  happen  if  we  detain  the 
medium's  double  by  force,  when  it  is  materialized 
to  such  a  degree  that  nothing  but  an  invisible 
simulacre  of  the  medium  remains  in  the  seat, 
behind  the  curtain?  It  is  obvious  that  the  simu- 
lacre—  that  small  portion,  fluid  and  etherial  — 
will  be  immediately  absorbed  into  the  already 
compactly  materialized  form,  which  lacks  nothing 
[of  being  the  medium]  but  that  invisible  re- 
mainder. 

It  is  nearly  twenty  years  since  Mr.  Harrison, 
the  editor  of  the  London  Spij^itualist^  wrote  as 
follows  concerning  this  process:  "  It  is  clear  that 
the  two  forms  must  re-unite,  and  that  the  lesser 
portion  should  be  absorbed  into  the  greater." 
{^Spiritualist^  1876,  II,  256.)    But  I  do  not  see 


182     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 

how  this  could  be  accomphshed,  if  the  medium 
was  well  "  secured  "  —  if  her  hands  and  feet  were 
securely  bound.  According  to  the  theory,  the 
bonds,  with  the  knots,  seals,  etc.,  should  remain 
intact,  hanging  from  the  chair  of  the  medium. 
That  would  involve  a  pleasant  experience!  But 
I  do  not  know  of  any  such  case;  for,  in  experi- 
mental spiritualism,  it  has  not  been  thought 
necessary  to  resort  to  physical  restraint,  when 
it  is  absolutely  certain  that  all  fraudulent  con- 
duct, on  the  part  of  the  medium,  is  out  of  the 
question.' 

3.  The  hypothesis  in  question  illustrates  the 
difficulty,  which  has  always  existed,  in  seeing 
the  perfectly  materialized  figure  and  the  me- 
dium, at  the  same  time;  because,  as  I  have 
already  said,  a  perfect  materialization,  on  the 
one  hand,  necessitates  an  equally  complete  de- 
materialization,  on  the  other  hand;  this  means 
that  only  an  invisible  simulacre  is  left,  which, 
we  suppose,  remains  in  the  place  of  the  me- 
dium's body.  The  same  principle  applies  to 
photographing  the  medium  and  the  material- 
ized form,  together;  successful  attempts  are  of 
legendary  rarity.  It  seems  that  the  difficult  thing 

'  Nevertheless,  for  analogous  cases,  with  Jean  and  Emile  Schraps 
and  Madam  Demmler,  as  mediums,  see  Psych.  Stud.,  June,  1889, 
p.  258;  October,  1892,  p.  433;  September,  1892,  p.  436.  — A. A. 


A   CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERIALIZATION.  183 

to  attain  is,  the  knowledge  or  the  ability  to  pre- 
serve the  necessary  equilibrium,  when  distribut- 
ing a  given  amount  of  matter  into  the  two  forms. 

4.  Experience  proves  that  the  process  of  de- 
materialization  and  rematerialization  extends  not 
only  to  organic  bodies,  but  also  to  inorganic 
bodies.  For  this  reason,  the  cords  and  seals  with 
which  the  medium  is  secured,  do  not  offer  the 
slightest  obstacle.*  Just  here,  the  following  hy- 
pothesis is  presented,  as  to  the  operation  of  these 
laws:  "Either  the  bonds  are  dematerialized,  or 
the  medium,  herself,  is  dematerialized."  We 
have  a  striking  illustration  of  this  in  the  case  of 
Mrs.  Compton,  which  I  cited  in  the  first  chapter. 
We  have  another  analogous  example,  in  the  ex- 
perience of  Prof  Crookes,  recounted  by  Mr. 
Blackburn.  Miss  Cook's  neck,  waist,  hands,  and 
arms,  were  tied  with  four  bands  of  ribbon,  by 
Prof.  Crookes,  to  four  points  on  a  movable 
ladder,  and  the  knots  were  sewn  and  sealed. 
Within  five  minutes,  the  medium  stepped  out  of 
the  cabinet,  free  from  her  bonds,  which  lay  on 
the  floor,  intact.  (  77^^  Spiritualist^  1874,  II,  p. 
285.)  I  may  also  refer  the  reader  to  a  personal 
experience  of  mine,  with  the    medium  Leon 


^Then,  why  should  there  be  any  difficulty  in  the  process  of  ab- 
sorption or  combination,  spoken  of  in  the  last  paragraph  of  section 
2,  above? — Translator. 


184     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


Montet,  whom  I  tied  with  the  greatest  care  and 
who  was  instantly  freed  from  all  the  cords;  yet 
not  the  smallest  knot  was  fractured.  {^Psych- 
i'sche  Studie7t,  ]din\\2ivy^  1882,  p.  i.) 

5.  These  facts  being  unquestionable,  the  same 
hypothesis  also  explains  the  penetration  of  matter 
by  matter,  and  the  apports^''  which  are  so  well 
known  in  mediumship.  They  are,  evidently, 
intimately  associated  with  the  phenomena  here- 
inbefore dealt  with.  It  is  unnecessary  to  cite 
examples.  I  refer  the  reader  to  my  book  Aji- 
imisnie  et  Spiritisme  and  to  my  narrative  of  the 
iron  ring  which  was  put  on  the  arm  of  the 
medium,  Williams,  as  related  in  Psychische 
Studien^  (February,  1876).  It  rests  upon  the 
same  hypothesis.  Mr.  Harrison  enters  into  de- 
tails to  explain  the  cases  of  apports  and  pene- 
tration of  matter,  in  his  article  entitled  "The- 
ory of  the  Explanation  of  certain  Spiritual 
Manifestations,"  (^The  Spiritualist^  1876,  I,  p. 
205,)  in  which  he  quotes  my  experience  with 
Williams. 

6.  The  solidarity  of  the  medium  and  the  ma- 
terialized form  become  manifest  and  perfectly 
comprehensible. 

It  has  often  been  noticed  that  physical  impres- 
sions, made  upon  the  materialized  form,  take 
effect  upon  the  medium.    We  have  the  first,  as 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION.  185 


well  as  the  most  common,  examples  of  this,  in 
cases  where  marks  are  put  upon  materialized 
hands.  I  have  treated  this  subject  in  Animisme 
et  S-piritisme  and  have  therein  given  an  interest- 
ing instance  of  a  knife-wound  upon  a  material- 
ized arm,  the  pain  from  which  was  felt  by  the 
medium.  In  like  manner,  it  has  often  happened, 
at  Madam  d'Esperance's  seances,  that  where  a 
materialized  hand  was  pricked,  the  puncture  was 
felt  by  the  medium.  I  was  present,  m3'Self,  at  a 
seance  when  the  materialized  spirit  dipped  her 
fingers  in  melted  wax,  and  the  medium  instantly 
cried  out  that  it  burned  her. 

In  short,  we  have  a  case  unique  in  the  annals 
of  spiritualism,  attested  by  five  witnesses,  which 
explains  this  solidarity  in  the  most  unlooked  for 
manner.  At  a  seance  given  by  Mr.  Monck,  a 
masculine  form  issued  from  the  left  side  of  the 
medium  and  took  shape,  under  the  very  eyes  of 
the  witnesses.  The  medium  was  in  plain  sight 
all  the  time  and  the  light  was  good.  The  form 
was  completely  materialized,  and  its  face,  hands 
and  feet  were  examined  by  the  full  light  of  the 
gas;  furthermore,  it  gave  proof  of  its  strength 
by  lifting  the  members  of  the  circle  from  their 
chairs,  in  rotation. 

It  should  be  incidentally  noted  that  this  last 
case  shows  that  the  hypothesis  of  an  almost 


186     A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


entire  dematerialization  of  the  medium,  accom- 
panying the  complete  materiaHzation  of  a  form 
as  I  have  explained  above,  is  subject  to  excep- 
tion, (as  I  have  stated  again  and  again)  ;  for,  in 
this  instance,  the  medium  remained  visible  and 
tangible. 

I  quote  the  following,  verbatim: 

"They  next  proposed  an  unusual  proceeding; 
namely  that  the  form  should  drink  a  glass  of 
water.  The  result  was,  that,  while  the  material- 
ized spirit  drank  the  water  before  our  eyes, 
and  in  such  a  manner  that  we  could  see  it  drink 
and  hear  it  swallow,  a  like  quantity  of  water 
was  instajitly  ejected  from  the  medium'' s  mouth. 
This  agrees  with  the  oldest  analogous  evidence; 
that  is  to  say,  that  sometimes,  if  not  always, 
there  is  an  intimate  connection  in  taste  and  sen- 
sations, between  psychic  forms  and  the  mediums 
from  whom  they  spring."    ( The  Spii^itualist, 

1877,  II,  p.  287.) 

There  is  a  tradition  that  spirits  dread  a  sword, 
and  even  in  the  most  recent  cases,  we  find  facts 
confirmatory  of  that  belief  Thus,  in  Glanvil's 
narrative  entitled  the  "Demon  of  Tedworth," 
(XVII  Century)  we  read  that  a  servant  of  Mons. 
Mompesson,  (whose  house  the  "  demon "  kept 
in  an  uproar,)  being  beset  by  the  spectre  at  night, 
menaced  it  with  his  sword  and  thus  put  it  to 


A  CASE   OF   PARTIAL   DEM ATERI ALIZATION.  187 

flight.  Once,  the  spectre  attempted  to  get  pos- 
session of  the  sword  '  and  a  struggle  ensued;  but 
as  soon  as  the  servant  became  master  of  the 
weapon,  the  spectre  vanished.  "We  noted  that 
it  always  tried  to  avoid  the  sword."  (S.  Glan- 
vil,  Saducismus  Ti'iumphatiis^  Ed.  of  1688,  pp. 
325-326.)  The  Marquis  de  Mirville,  in  his  work, 
"  Spirits  and  their  Fluid  Manifestations,"  quoting 
many  incidents  from  the  first  manifestations  at 
Cideville,  which  occurred  in  1851,  states,  among 
other  things,  that  the  spectre  always  sought  to 
avoid  the  point  of  a  sword,  directed  toward  the 
spot  where  it  was  supposed  to  be  making  the 
sound  of  blows.  The  marquis  quotes  many  pas- 
sages from  ancient  writers,  in  confirmation  of 
the  tradition  referred  to. 

According  to  recent  investigations  in  the  un- 
familiar and  mysterious  domain  of  hypnotism, 
the  sensibility  of  the  surface  of  the  skin  may 
even  be  extended  to  a  certain  distance  from  the 
hypnotized  person,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  sensi- 
tive cushion  around  him  or  her.^  The  hypnotized 
person  is  then  absolutely  insensible  of  a  prick 
applied  directly  upon  her  skin;  but,  if  this  air- 

^Like  the  pencil  which  -was  forcibly  -wrenched  from  mv  hand 
behind  Eusapia's  back,  at  one  of  the  Milan  seances. — A. A. 

^  Much  like  the  electric  field,  or  the  magnetic  field.  —  Traxsla- 

TOR. 


188     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


cushion  is  pricked,  at  a  given  distance  from  the 
body,  this  is  felt  at  once.  This  phenomenon  is 
now  called  exteriorization  of  sensibility^ 

What  takes  place  in  the  phenomena  of  ma- 
terialization, as  we  have  seen  it,  may  be  con- 
sidered the  highest  development  of  exteriori- 
zation." Thus,  tradition  and  experiment  join 
hands.^ 

7.  Finally,  if  we  have  not  found  a  complete 
solution  of  the  mystery  of  materialization,  we 
have,  at  least,  a  kind  of  natural  explanation  of  it. 
It  is  no  longer  a  miracle  —  an  instantaneous  crea- 
tion of  matter  for  organic  human  forms,  drawn 
from  nothing,  so  to  speak.  It  is  a  transforma- 
tion—  the  transformation  of  one  existing  organic 
form,  into  another.  It  still  remains  wonderful, 
but  it  is  no  longer  miraculous.  This  is  all  the 
better  for  the  spiritualistic  doctrine,  because  it 
tends  to  prove  that  the  body  is  not  merely  the 
product  of  the  play  of  chemical  forces;  but  is 
the  creation  of  an  organizing,  persistent  force, 
which  can  shape  matter  at  its  will.  The  body 
with  which  we  are  familiar  is  shown  to  be  a 
material   vesture,  but  a  temporary  one,  only. 

^  See  Les  Etats  profo7ids  de  Vhypnose,  bj  A.  de  Rochas  d'Aiglun, 
Paris,  1892  ;  La  Force  vital,  noire  corps  vital  Jlicidiqiie,  by  Dr. 
Baraduc,  Paris,  1893,  and  Exteriorisation  animiqiie  complete  du 
C07^ps  vital psychique,  by  the  same  author.  —  A. A. 

^  See  Psych.  Stud.,  July,  1893,  p.  321.  —  A. A. 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZATIOX .  189 

The  supremacy  of  spirit  over  matter  becomes 
manifest. 

In  the  case  of  simple  duplication,  when  the 
medium  is  entranced,  we  have  a  phenomenon  of 
equilibration  —  that  is  to  say,  a  re-distribution  of 
the  organic  matter  belonging  to  one  bodv.  into 
tvjo  bodies,  —  together  with  conservation  of  iden- 
tity of  the  form  which  is  generated  by  the  indi- 
vidual organizing  principle.  When  such  a  man- 
ifestation occurs  and  the  medium  is  not  entranced, 
we  have  the  proof  that  the  possession  of  the  sum- 
total  of  our  psychic  body  is  not  necessary  to  our 
auto-consciousness;  and  also  that  the  oro-anizine 
self  can  act,  and  even  build  up  a  body,  entirely 
outside  of  and  apart  from  the  conscious  self 
When  the  duplication  occurs  and  the  material- 
ized form,  while  conforming  to  the  general  tvpe 
of' the  medium,  still  dilTers  from  it  in  some  re- 
spects, (as  in  the  case  of  Katie  King,  where  the 
shape  of  the  nails  and  ears,  and  the  color  of  her 
hair,  were  entirely  unlike  her  medium's,)  we 
have  a  dazzling  proof  of  the  organizing  power 
of  the  supreme  self,  which  is  not  confined  to  the 
model  of  the  familiar  earthly  body  which  it  in- 
habits.   This  is  the  beginning  of  transformation.' 

The  ancients  were  familiar  with  this  kind  of  transformation, 
lamblichus  says,  in  his  work  on  the  Egyptian  Mysteries  (Sec.  III. 
Ch.  5)  '-Corpus  eoriim  vel  concrescere  videtur  in  altum,  vel  ifi 
amplum,  vel  per  aerem  fenni  videtur.  —  A. A. 


190     A  CASE  OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 

When  the  materialized  form  is  entirely  different 
from  the  medium,  (as  in  the  case  of  Katie  Brink 
and  Mrs.  Compton,  referred  to  in  Chapter  First,) 
we  have  a  complete  transformation,  or  transfigur- 
ation. 

How,  and  by  whom,  is  it  accomplished  ?  That 
is  the  difficult  and  important  question.  It  is  hard 
to  believe  that  it  is  the  work  of  the  individual 
and  transcendent  self.  And  if,  critically  speak- 
ing, this  supposition  fulfills  all  the  requisites  for 
establishing  an  individuality,  (see  Animisme  et 
Spiritisme^  we  have  the  best  evidence  that  a 
transcendent,  individual  self,  (which  is  not  that 
of  the  medium,)  simply  seizes  certain  organic 
matter,  to  transform  it  at  its  pleasure. 

But  if  this  is  so,  would  it  not  be  simpler  for 
this  supreme  self  to  reproduce  the  very  form  and 
face  of  the  medium,  and  then  transform  them  at 
will,  without  resorting  to  the  marvelous  produc- 
tion of  a  form  entirely  different  from  that  of  the 
medium?  If  cases  of  this  kind  exist,  it  would 
be  striking  and  ocular  proof  that  materialization 
resolves  itself  into  a  phenomenon  of  transforma- 
tion. In  truth,  such  cases  do  exist;  but  they  are 
rare  and  infrequent  amongst  the  enormous  mass 
of  materials  for  spiritualistic  literature. 

I  find  two  cases  of  this  nature  given  in  an  ar- 
ticle by  Miss  Kislingbury,  in   The  Spiritualist 


A   CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZ ATIOX .  191 


of  December  22nd,  1S76.  in  which  she  classities 
appai'itions  as  duplications,  transligurations  and 
transformations,  and  gives  two  examples  of  trans- 
figuration. 

Here  is  tlie  first,  taken  from  a  letter  from  ]\Ir. 
Joy,  an  American,  previously  published  in  the 
same  journal,  September  17,  1875: 

^']\Irs.  Crocker,  a  verv  estimable  medium  of 
Chicago,  told  me  the  tbllowing  facts,  some  time 
ago.  Under  the  direction  of  her  spirit-guide, 
she  some  months  since  beo-an  a  series  of  seances 
for  the  development  of  a  new  phase  of  medium- 
ship.  The  sitters  were  her  own  family,  only. 
One  night  when  there  was  a  bright  fire  in  the 
room,  besides  some  moonlight,  she  was  trans- 
figured. Her  face  was  entirely  changed  as  to 
size,  shape  and  expression,  and  a  hea\'y  black 
beard  appeared  on  it.  All  those  who  were 
seated  at  the  table  saw  it  alike.  Her  son-in-law 
cried,  as  she  turned  her  lace  towards  him.  *  O, 
this  is  m^'  father  I  '  and  afterwards  declared  that 
it  was  the  exact  image  of  his  deceased  parent. 
A  moment  later.  'Mrs.  Crocker  was  transformed 
into  an  old  lady,  with  white  hair.  These  meta- 
morphoses occurred  gradualh'.  while  none  of  the 
witnesses  took  their  e}'es  from  her  face.  She 
retained  complete  consciousness,  but  telt  a  very 
livelv  tino^lino-  sensation  all  over  her  bodv.  ex- 


192     A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERI ALIZATION. 


actly  as  if  she  held  the  poles  of  a  strong  galvanic 
battery." 

The  other  example  is  taken  from  the  "  Book 
of  Mediums,"  by  Allan  Kardeck.  The  case 
occurred  near  St.  Etienne,  in  1858. 

"A  young  girl  of  some  fifteen  years,  possessed 
the  singular  faculty  of  transfiguring  herself;  that 
is  to  say,  of  assuming  the  likenesses  of  certain 
deceased  persons,  at  given  times.  The  illusion 
was  so  complete  that  man}^  thought  the  person 
in  question  actually  present,  so  exact  was  the 
likeness  in  feature,  look,  tone  of  voice,  and  even 
in  verbal  expression.  This  phenomenon  was  re- 
peated hundreds  of  times,  without  the  girl  being 
able  to  control  it  in  any  way.  She  often  took 
the  appearance  of  a  brother  who  had  been  dead 
some  years;  and  not  only  were  his  features  re- 
produced, but  his  height  and  the  proportions  of 
his  body.  A  neighboring  doctor,  having  fre- 
quently witnessed  these  bizarre  effects,  and 
wishing  to  make  sure  that  he  was  not  the  victim 
of  some  trick,  tried  the  following  experiment. 
We  obtained  the  account  from  him,  from  the 
girl's  father,  and  from  several  other  honorable 
and  reputable  persons  who  were  e3^e-witnesses. 
He  adopted  the  plan  of  weighing  the  girl  both 
in  her  natural  state  and  when  she  was  trans- 
figured and  appeared  like  her  brother,  who  was 


A   CASE    OF   PARTIAL   DEMATERIALIZA TIOX .  193 


somethino:  over  twentv  vears  of  aofe  and  who 
was  much  k^rger  and  stouter  than  she.  He 
found  that  in  the  latter  state  her  weight  was 
almost  doubled!  The  test  was  conclusive,  as  it 
was  impossible  to  attribute  such  a  result  to  a 
mere  optical  delusion.** 

Thouofh  these  cases  are  cited  bv  ^liss  Kis- 
lingburv  as  examples  of  transfiguration,  the 
production  of  the  beard,  the  gray  hair  and  the 
increased  weight,  are  all  phenomena  which 
clearly  indicate  that  a  process  of  transformation 
had  already  taken  place,  always  admitting  the 
exactness  of  the  facts  related.  Unfortunately, 
we  have  not  details  of  the  observation  and  direct 
testimony  of  the  eye-witnesses,  sufficient  to  jus- 
tify full  credence  of  facts  so  very  important,  if 
authentic.  One  great  point  in  their  favor  is.  that 
they  are  not  in  conflict  with  the  principle  upon 
which  all  materialization  is  based  ;  and  that  they 
illustrate,  in  some  sort,  the  transitory  and  initial 
stage  in  the  transformation  of  one  organic  body 
into  another,  under  the  operation  of  an  unknown 
oro^anizino:  force. 

This  is  the  proper  place  to  mention  another 
class  of  phenomena  w^hich  also  weigh  in  favor 
of  the  theory  of  transformation;  but  which,  un- 
fortunately, are  as  rare  and  as  insufficiently  de- 
scribed as  the  foregoing. 


194     A  CASE  OF   PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATION. 


Thus,  we  find  the  following  case  reported  by 
Mr.  Simmons  at  one  of  the  meetings  of  the 
National  Association  of  Spiritualists,  held  at 
London,  in  December,  1876. 

"  Dr.  Newburgh  had  told  him  how,  for  that 
purpose,  he  had  tied  Mrs.  Compton  with  waxed 
cord  and  nailed  her  black  alpaca  dress  to  the 
floor.  After  thus  securing  her,  he  returned  to 
the  circle  outside  and  saw  a  form,  smaller  than 
Mrs.  Compton  and  entirely  robed  in  white,  issue 
from  the  cabinet.  He  said  it  would  require  thirty 
or  forty  ells  of  material  to  make  that  robe.  The 
doctor  was  invited  to  enter  the  cabinet,  and 
found  there  nothing  but  the  medium's  empty 
chair.  He  came  out  and  talked  with  the  appari- 
tion and  asked  for  a  piece  of  its  veil.  The  fig- 
ure answered,  ^  If  you  cut  this,  it  will  make  a 
hole  in  the  medium's  dress,'  and  added  that,  in 
that  event,  he  would  have  to  present  her  a  new 
dress.  He  thereupon  cut  from  the  white  veil 
a  piece  nearly  as  large  as  his  hand.  The  form 
re-entered  the  cabinet.  An  instant  later,  he  was 
invited  to  enter  also,  and  he  found  the  medium 
tied  with  the  waxed  cord,  and  her  dress  nailed 
to  the  floor,  as  at  first:  and,  in  her  black  dress^ 
he  found  a  large  hole^  which  corresponded  ex- 
actly to  the  white  piece.  Later,  the  doctor  cut 
the  surrounding  piece  from  the  black  dress,  to 


A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERIALIZATIOX.  195 


show  the  others  how  exactly  the  white  piece 
litted  into  the  rent.  Afterwards,  he  examined 
and  analyzed  the  two  materials,  and  found  them 
exactly  alike  in  all  other  respects,  but  of  diiferent 
colors."'     i^The  Spiritualist^  1876,  11,  p.  257.) 

The  same  thing  was  very  frequently  observed 
at  Madam  d'Esperance's  seances,  where,  when- 
ever one  of  the  participants  succeeded  in  clan- 
destinely cutting  off  a 'piece  of  the  veil  which 
enveloped  a  materialized  form,  it  was  found  that 
a  piece  of  the  medium's  dress  or  underskirt  was 
missing.  I  can  not,  at  present,  refer  to  any  ac- 
count of  such  occurrences,  for  I  have  long  since 
had  to  give  up  keeping  my  register,  because  of 
failino^  evesig^ht.  I  onlv  know  that,  in  the  case 
of  INIadam  d'Esperance,  the  instances  did  not 
occur  in  the  course  of  experimentation,  in  the 
true  sense  of  the  word.  It  was  always  dis- 
covered by  chance  and  always  after  the  seance. 
At  the  time  of  my  sittings  at  Gottenburg,  I 
wished  to  arrange  for  an  experiment  of  the 
kind,  and  to  that  end,  I  ordered  a  special  robe 
for  Madam  d'Esperance;  but  I  have  had  no 
opportunity  to  try  the  experiment,  being  too 
eager  to  accomplish  the  special  object  for  which 

^  A  more  extensive  account  of  Mrs.  Compton  and  of  analogous 
manifestations  will  be  found  in  Psych.  Stud.,  January,  1S94.  p.  291. 

A.  A. 


196     A  CASE   OF  PARTIAL  DEMATERI ALIZATION. 

I  went  to  Gottenburg.  It  should  be  stated,  how- 
ever, that  when  a  cut  is  made  by  permission  of 
a  materialized  form,  as  in  the  case  quoted  above, 
{Psych.  Stud.,  1893^  PP-  341-349?)  Madam  d'Es- 
perance  is  not  surprised,  and  her  dress  remains 
uninjured. 

If  we  could  establish  one  case  of  this  kind,  in 
such  a  way  that  it  should  be  absolutely  indis- 
putable, we  should  therein  also  have  a  phe- 
nomenon which  would  mark  an  epoch  like  that 
to  which  this  little  book  is  devoted;  and  more- 
over, in  that  case,  the  evidence  would  not  be 
ephemeral  and  transitive,  (as  the  evidence  is 
when  organic  living  bodies  are  materialized,) 
but  the  proof  would  be  as  enduring  and  perma- 
nent as  are  the  knots  in  an  endless  cord,  obtained 
by  Prof.  ZoUner. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  an  impartial  critic, 
I  must  admit  that  the  phenomenon  of  the  partial 
dematerialization  of  the  body  of  the  medium,  of 
which  I  write,  is  still  far  from  positively  estab- 
lished. The  principal  defect,  (which  I  can  not 
ignore,)  is  that  it  is  unique  and  was  unexpected y 
the  witnesses,  not  having  foreseen  any  such  man- 
ifestation, could  not,  while  the  phenomenon 
lasted,  act  with  the  calmness  and  prudence  nec- 
essary to  demonstrate  a  fact  so  extraordinary. 
But  yet,  as  it  is,  I  think  it  supported  by  evidence 


A  CASE  OF  PARTIAT.  DEMATERIALIZ ATION.  197 


sufficient  to  justify  me  in  making  it  the  subject 
of  this  memoir. 

Now  that  the  case  is  known,  there  remains  but 
one  thing  to  desire:  its  reproduction  in  all  the 
thousand  conditions  possible  for  perfect,  scien- 
tific, irreproachable  observation;  and  above  all, 
before  a  circle  of  persons  perfectly  conversant 
with  the  present  state  of  the  inquiry.  To  this 
end,  we  have  an  important  help  in  the  personal- 
ity of  the  medium,  who  desires  nothing  so  much 
as  serious  investigation,  and  who  affords  excep- 
tional advantages  in  some  respects,  as  she  is  not 
entranced  during  the  sittings,  as  she  is  accessible 
to  observation,  and  as  she  is  herself  an  excellent 
observer.  But  in  order  to  reproduce  the  phe- 
nomenon with  Madam  d'Esperance  as  medium, 
it  is,  first  of  all,  necessary  that  her  health  be  re- 
established; and  that  her  mediumship,  dissipated 
by  the  psychic  and  physical  shock  suffered  as  a 
result  of  what  then  occurred,  should  be  restored 
anew.  From  last  accounts,  it  appears  that  an  im- 
provement in  her  health  has  at  length  taken  place, 
and  her  mediumship  is  returning.  Let  us  hope 
that  she  will  no  longer  be  a  martyr  to  the  cause 
which  has  hitherto  borne  her  only  mortifications, 
disappointments  and  bitter  calumnies,  in  return 
for  all  the  abnegation,  generosity  and  devotion 
she  has  shown. 

Repiofka,  Penza,  July  11/23,  1895. 


I 


